Day 5

Surprised by joy!

Instead of fun, I think of joy or even playfulness. It may be a result of exactly what Parker is talking about, but 'fun' makes me think of something you have to create or plan or have. Isn't that what we say, "I had fun." "What would you like to do for fun today?"

Joy and playfulness come from within. Maybe fruits of the Spirit grow from seeds that are planted within the human spirit. Joy is often surprising. It pops up in strange places, sometimes when we don't expect it. I've been with people in the midst of grief, and suddenly a joy bubbles up from some hidden spring. Fun doesn't quite capture it. Perhaps fun has become a commodity because we are disconnected from joy. So, we pay someone to make some fun for us, to entertain us, all the while we may still be completely joy-less.

A better question may be, 'how do we nurture those seeds of joy?' Is there some currency in the equation: awareness? attitude? curiosity? tenderness? grace? the speed of life?

There were many moments in both worship services yesterday, when joy bubbled up within me. No one planned them, least of all me. If there was any planning, it was only that I may have been prepared to experience them, that is open, receptive or willing.

One of my those moments came when one of my children shared their own moment of joy. As I tucked him in, I asked him what his favorite part of the Crosswalk service was. Given his 'addiction' to 'screen time' I figured he'd say the video clips. Instead, he answered, "I liked the last song about the river" (a song in which Tracie Broughton plays a lively flute part.) He went on to say, "it made me so happy, I almost started to laugh." (If you attended the service, this was not said by my dancing partner.)

As the credit card company correctly states, the joy I experienced hearing his words were priceless. Unlike their marketing pitch though, I didn't have to slap down my plastic to create the environment for either of us.
May your day be filled with tiny moments of surprising joy!