First Baptist Church of Herndon

Joy

Linda Soller | Jan 22, 2018

If you want to see joy, just look at a child. Even children with little to be joyful about seem to find joy in simple things. When parenting, it’s easy to miss the joy for all the responsibility, but it’s there beneath the surface. Even with a “peek-a-boo”, laughter can quickly emerge. A snowflake landing on a child’s nose makes them momentarily forget the cold. A big wet lick from a dog can distract them from sadness. The perfect acorn is not a nuisance to clear from the sidewalk, but a treasure. But children observe. They watch grown-ups to identify what they should and should not do. Remember how you longed to be a grown-up so you could stay up late, and now you just wish you could go to bed early?

For adults, joy is often fleeting and can be elusive. We have learned to adapt and conform, sometimes to survive, sometimes to preserve, and sometimes because it is all we know. What would happen if that small child saw you open a book and smile instead of answering their plea to read with a heavy sigh? What might change if you admitted you made mistakes, sometimes, and ice cream is the best solution? What could it hurt to admit to happy tears for a change?  Your smile may be soothing, the ice cream a connection, and the happy tears permission to feel life in each moment. Joy is not just for the young, but too often we avoid it to preserve the status quo. Joy is precious and contagious. It can be given in small and great amounts. It can be felt over, and over, and over again.

Lord help me feel the joy again. I know it is there, I feel it rising in my soul, and I want to share it. Please give me a ready smile, a warm voice of comfort, and the laughter of overwhelming joy. Dear Lord let me be joyful today.

Have a great week!  :o) Linda