My thoughts on JOY are inspired by my pastor's (S.W.) Easter Sermon. To quote, Pastor S.W., he advises that we need "to be on the lookout for joy" (S.W.).
As I near the end of my 40s and witness my father's fading memory, I work hard to be open to joy in the daily moments in my life. Often joy is buried beneath the dishes to be washed and the papers to be graded. Thinking of a joyful life is too big a plan in light of all my worries in a world where violence has unfortunately become a daily occurrence.
So, I remind myself of the wise Bible passage that advises me to turn my worries into prayers.
Philippians 4:6-7New Living Translation (NLT)
"6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. "
I have been tempted to walk and live in wary bitterness, but I would miss joy, kindness, and patience. So I have shaken off my garments of bitterness being careful not to trip over the discarded cloth surrounding my ankles. Stepping out from the puddle of bitterness, I put my hands to work ready to dig up any crumb of joy.
My son has given me so much laughter and joy. Books, good movies, food and exercise have filled me with joy. If I follow my pastor's advice, I will find joy in the soap suds as I wash dishes after a warm meal. I will find joy in a sentence, a thought written by a curious or hardworking student.
As I shared earlier, there are some days, it is hard for me to find joy (Am I whining?). After listening to my pastor's sermon today, I realize that I may have to actively look for joy just like the children hunt for hidden Easter eggs. I have to be willing to bend down, look behind bushes, dirty my fingernails and scrape dirt as I reach for joy in unexpected places. Above all, I need to take the time to look joy in the eye and smile.
No matter how tired and overwhelmed or anxious, I have to be open to uncovering hidden joy in the mundane, the obvious, the habitual, even the trying moments. My pastor reminded us all that it is our spiritual connection to God that will free us to find joy even in trying times.
Yes - your words ring true for me. We can get bogged down and frustrated, but we must always look for joy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that beautiful quote from scripture. I think you should turn it into a meme. I also love your Easter egg hunt metaphor for finding joy in daily life. Your pastor sounds really awesome!
ReplyDeleteI believe joy is all around us if we are open to finding it. We just have to look for it! Great post today!
ReplyDeleteThe Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. -Psalms 28:7
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite verses. Reminds me that part of receiving joy is rejoicing.
I love the Philippians verses, which I didn't know. But the spirit of them I did know and am glad to be reminded of. You seem more alert to joy than almost anyone I know, even though you have more responsibilities than most people I know. My way of saying you're already following your advice. Sometimes, though, when you're exhausted, as your life is apt to make you, I think it's okay to just to rest, if that's possible. Maybe take joy in that rest from looking for joy?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great sermon! Thank you for sharing it. This message reminded me of something Thich Nhat Hanh wrote about. He was talking about eating an orange. “Take the time to eat an orange in mindfulness. If you eat an orange in forgetfulness, caught in your anxiety and sorrow, the orange is not really there. But if you bring your mind and body together to produce true presence, you can see that the orange is a miracle..." Thank you for reminding me of those words!
ReplyDeleteI love the Easter egg metaphor. This post reminds me that what each religion has to teach is a) rather universal and b) not so different from the others. May we all learn to find joy in each other.
ReplyDeleteYou always remind me of the power of gratitude and now, of joy. Thank you for posting what your paster said. Your spiritual devotion is moving and so incredibly deep. It makes me long for that sort of connection in my own life.
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