SURPRISED BY JOY
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, Psalm 30
Joy is not something we hear much about these days. From the controversies and prevarications of pet eating to the tragedies and heartbreaks of Israel, Gaza and Ukraine, it can look like joy will only come when these situations improve or better yet end.
Yet there is a deeper truth here to examine. What if joy was always available – what if we were built for joy rather than the ups and downs of emotional disturbance that appear to be circumstantially driven?
I would have written a few months ago something along the lines of Don’t worry, be Happy…thank you Bobby McFerrin. Happiness seemed good enough and hard to come by as well.
Something shifted for me this summer as I became reacquainted with someone from an earlier phase of my life. Joy appeared rather quickly in our long-distance exchanges and I began to realize that a tiny invitation brought out the innate joy that I carry and that we all possess. It’s always there waiting to be evoked and as natural to us as smiling or laughing in delight at a funny story or play on words. It would be easy for me to attribute all of it to my friend and the delight I experience in being in communication with him – but that would be misleading. The truth is there are people in our lives who bring out the best IN us (emphasis on IN) but they can’t put something there that isn’t already present. Consequently, I have been able to see joy through the veil of circumstances and begin to stand in that place as opposed to wondering where joy has gone.
Whether the Forty Niners play well (bummer of a game Sunday) or my alma mater has a bad year (Go Blue) or worse yet – the Golden State Warriors without Klay….its all the circumstances of life – not the essence. The essence shows up in gratitude for it all – the things we like and the things we don’t – if you look more closely you will see joy softly waiting to emerge in a smile- a kind word – or a surprise of Love when it was not predicted or expected.
I strongly encourage everyone to be surprised by Joy this week and dwell there- I plan to spend the week with this old friend – reigniting joy for us both.
