Dec. 10: Joy - Jean Hall
Joy – such a simple little word that describes such a profound emotion. To say something or someone brings us joy expresses so much more than to say we feel pleasure or happiness. From the beginning, we as humans have sought pleasure and pursued happiness often in ways that lead to harm to ourselves and others. It’s even written in our Constitution that we all as individuals have the God given right to “the pursuit of happiness”. We may spend our lives chasing after happiness trying to find it, but to experience joy is different – joy finds us.
Over twelve years ago, when our grand twins were struggling for life in the Duke NICU, I got up before dawn to shower and get ready to go to the hospital and help relieve my daughter who stayed by their side through the nights. Needless to say, this was not a pleasant experience for any of us and happiness was nowhere in our range of emotions. And yet as I looked out my window that morning, the thin clouds of pastel blue and pink sunrise suddenly overwhelmed me with tears of joy. I felt God’s presence surrounding our family with His divine love. When our hearts are full of grief, fear and despair, there is little room for happiness, but surprisingly joy can find a way in. Joy fills us with hope and promise.
William Wordsworth’s beautiful poem “Surprised by Joy” expresses this so well as he, while grieving the death of his daughter, writes of feeling an unexpected joy and wishing she were there to share it with him. Perhaps this joy was sparked from a memory of her or something in nature or experiencing the divine presence of God – we don’t really know, but his joy was not overcome by his grief and despair.
In chapter 2 the Gospel of Luke tells us the wonderful story of the shepherds on night duty protecting their herds - bored or on edge for predators or most likely both - when an angel from God tells them of Jesus’ birth by proclaiming “good news of great joy for all the people”. They surely must have been surprised by this unexpected angel. First, that an angel was speaking to them and secondly wondering “Why us – lowly shepherds?” And then the angel, rather than warning them of some calamity or calling them out for misdeeds, was bringing good news of great joy – not just joy but great joy and not just for the powerful or religious leaders, but for all people.
God has indeed surprised us with great joy by coming to be with us forever through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Creator, thank you for surprising us with the great joy of Immanuel, Jesus God coming to be with us and the Holy Spirit who stays with us that we may be forever full of your divine joy.
Jean Hall