Wednesday, May 8, 2019

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, New Living Translation)

                Joy is playing catch with my six-year old grandson on a warm Sunday afternoon and then watching a basketball game with him, even though I am not a big basketball fan.

                So, how was your weekend?

                We spent time with three of our four grandsons this past week-end. I cannot begin to tell you how much joy that brings us.

                I am not totally sure how one can really describe joy.  It embraces happiness but it is somehow more than that. It gives one pleasure but that’s sounds too self-centred. Joy makes you smile and feel satisfied but this too doesn’t capture all of its experience.  Joy is not just a feeling but a deep-seated approach to taking on  life. It becomes not so much momentary but a character trait. It is the opposite of dire sadness and gives us strength and courage in the face of grief and loss.

I think that I would have tried to include it somehow as a piece of the armour of faith from Ephesians 6: “Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet.” ( Ephesians 6:13, The Message Bible) It’s not on the list but joy, real, deep-seated joy somehow helps a person shield oneself from the slings and arrows of life or becomes an elixir that nourishes the heart, spirit and soul of folk like us.

Joy is not looking at life through rose-coloured glasses and a sappy smile on our faces. It is not pretending that everything is hunky-dory when it obviously isn’t. It generally is not found in massing material goods.  I would argue that neither is it found in ego, self-centredness, selfishness or the like.

Joy is the fruit of our relationships or the   demonstration of compassion or found in our ability to hold on to faith, hope and love even in the face of adversity. Joy is a blessing, a gift, a herald of a fresh spring breezes changing our still, stuffy days.

Joy is, I believe, always a shared experience. Indeed, joy may be our gift to others, lifting their spirits, offering encouragement,  seeking their good, esteeming another’s worth. Perhaps then, joy becomes the gift that also comes our way – unconditional, undeserved, unearned  - freely washing over us with ita unlimited supply of blessing and contentment.

I am not sure at all that one can define joy with a few simple words. You just know when it is in your heart and mind. You don’t try to explain it or analyze it – just enjoy it! Joy is a little bit of heaven on earth which captures our imaginations and holds on to us, reminding us that life has so much more to give when we are open to the Spirit.

Joy can be found in the small, unspectacular, ordinary moments of our lives through a touch, a smile, a gesture, a serendipitous moment shared together.  Joy is a resurrection moment when life is good as God would like it to be for us – abundant, overflowing with mercy and grace,  free from sin, redeemed and transformed.

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John 16:22, NLT)

How simply was I reminded of all that on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon!

Dale