WOW PrayerMail January 17, 2007
Joy is the serious business of heaven. - C.S. Lewis
Do you too-often feel joy-impaired? (Have you noticed, kids don't struggle with this.)
A friend of mine told me of her little great grandson who came bursting into the room fresh from a bath, naked, dancing around and waving his arms singing, “I love you God, I love you God! I love being four; I want to be four forever!”
This little guy is NOT joy-impaired.
Yes, but you say, I'd be joyful too if I could be four- no responsibilities, no pressures, no concern for people laughing hysterically at my natural ‘beauty.’
In his book The Life You've Always Wanted, Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People John Ortberg says, “joyfulness is a learned skill…People who want to pursue joy especially need to practice the discipline of celebration…When we celebrate, we exercise our ability to see and feel goodness in the simplest gifts of God.”
I'm learning more and more to celebrate simple things like a good cup of coffee, a car that starts, and being able to find my car in the parking lot.
I've recognized in my own life the need to get serious about celebration when I learned several years ago that it is a spiritual discipline. In the past I had the vague idea that celebration didn't happen often- kind of like Christmas coming just once a year- and that it took a lot of work. I was celebration impaired.
Or that celebration shouldn't happen until the job was done, or the problem was solved, or…. enough money was saved.
This attitude almost stole a truckload of joy from our friends, Ann and Jeff. The sterile marriage ceremony they had planned at the Justice of the Peace with just two witnesses and intentions of having a real wedding later, “when we have the money,” has become, with help from friends, a church wedding with a pastor, guests, music, some flowers and even a wedding cake.
Weddings are obvious celebrations- you get an invitation and it’s a big deal. I hadn't given the idea of spontaneous miniature celebrations much thought. The idea that they can happen daily. Hourly even. A lot like stopping to smell the roses- appreciating, savoring simple gifts from God.
For example, my daughter called me this morning to “share her joy” (her actual words) at having found that the chaircover she'd been waiting to buy was, not only on clearance at 50% off as she had hoped, but 50% off of THAT.
Ann just called to celebrate the fact that she found a dress for her wedding that is costing her $00.00- a friend’s dress that she likes and that fits! (Apparently others aren't quite as celebration-impaired as I am.)
Although I have given up waiting until everything’s hunky dory before I can celebrate. Hunky dory is an illusion anyway. And so far I've noticed that when I've paused to notice, for example, the perfect snowflakes falling on my coat sleeve, the world didn't come to a grinding halt. Glory be!
Now about that good cup of coffee: It should in my favorite mug, freshly brewed with a heaping spoon of sugar, a glug of creamer stirred in and then, since the creamer has cooled it down some, zapped for 15 seconds in the microwave.
This good cup of coffee brings exponentially more joy when delivered to me in bed first thing in the morning by a certain handsome man (that would be my wonderful husband).
Joy is, after all, is serious business.
WOW PrayerMail is a weekly ministry to Women of the Word study groups at Westview Church, Waukee, IA. Editor: Connie Hoogeveen.
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