Is Joy a Choice?
This quote from Bella Grace magazine ends with a thought-provoking question:
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of equating being busy with being worthy and fulfilled. Take a moment and let the world fall quiet around you. What truly brings you joy?”
How would you answer the question: What truly brings you joy?
The simple things in life bring me joy:
A second chance at love after widowhood—oh, deepest joy.
Planning a new life with Dan, scheming together to do as much good as possible while we still occupy this twirling planet.
Baking … being in the kitchen and baking brings me joy.
Being part of a family that loves well.
Grandkids—mine and Dan’s—that come in a fun variety of ages and stages.
Beauty in nature.
Snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking, camping in the Cascades.
The freedom and health and mobility to get outdoors—something I never want to take for granted.
Drinking homemade Chai tea with Dan—hot out of a thermos and on the side of a mountain.
These, along with so many other simple things, fill me to the overflowing mode.
But what if we’ve lost something of infinite value? Like a spouse or other family member? Or a close friend? What if we’ve lost our health? A job? Our ability to think and plan? Or our capacity to create beauty in the form of words or art or dance?
What if deep loss has stolen our joy?
Consider this thought from Ecclesiastes 7:14, NKJV:
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other …”
Author and teacher Priscilla Shirer offers this wisdom:
“We can hold grief in one hand, but there’s a joy in the other hand.”
The only way we can hold grief in one hand and joy in the other is by choosing to do so—by leaning in close to God; and listening for His still, small voice; by practicing gratitude and living life with a focus not on what we’ve lost, but what still remains.
A lovely, timeworn Christmas song contains these words: “Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.”
What a great old-fashioned word—tidings. It simply means a piece of good news.
Even though pain and stress and sorrow are part of living on this broken planet, what if we accepted the good news that Christ came to earth to bring comfort and joy? That He came to reunite us in relationship with our Father God?
And what if we could embrace this comfort, this joy?
We can. Because He came.
