What an excellent weekend we have had! The sunshine (the moment of snow), and of course my favourite seasonal food; hot cross buns, and chocolate! Sufficiently full, I am finally getting round to what I thought I'd write two weeks ago when I began to think about joy!
What does joy look like to you?
During the first lockdown in 2020, as a way to boost staff morale (and I should imagine an attempt to keep me occupied) a work friend and I started a podcast. Season one "stuck indoors" ended, and then we began season 2 calling it "inside out" as parts of lockdown were lifting. It also gave us an opportunity to link it to the film, and therefore discuss emotion.
In my job, I spent a lot of time discussing emotion, but often we focus on the negative feelings. I loved when Amy and I got the opportunity to discuss joy as I don't think we often get the chance to ask. What makes me smile?
Discussing joy, we worked out there were different ways to think about 'happiness' and so this graphic was born! Joy was like the sea, deep and vast. Happiness was like a sunny day, situational sometimes but always potential to be there. Excitement was like a surfboard, exhilarating & energised, whereas bliss was like a long sigh, a peace full kind of happiness.
What activities would you write out for these types of emotions, what kind of balance do you have for them?
I thought I had stumbled on a winner here with this idea of energy & pleasure and then one Sunday afternoon stumbled across Marc Brackett. Ph.D. and his work on Permission to Feel. This book is 100% on my waiting to-read list (I would have read it already but I've made a promise to at least attempt to buy no new books until the summer!) If you know me, you know I love this kind of thing!
So today, the question on my heart is this,
What does Joy look like?
What! Lou, you said a few weeks ago Joy was a fruit, not an emotion!
Indeed I did, and thank you for reading(!). It is the fruition of walking with the spirit. Yet, I can't get away from the notion that joy is also an expressive word. Yes, we can have joy in dark seasons, joy alongside sadness. I just wonder if we often forget to also have delight and laughter and happiness exceeding from us?
Delight!
Angel delight was by far the height of excellence when it came to desert time. In fact, I would still say it could be on a 'last supper' menu if ever I have the displeasure of having to make one! Angel delight brings delight! It makes me happy, it makes me smile. We don't often use the word delight, other than in rolling eyes, sarcastic tone "delightful". I think it's high time we bought it back and asked ourselves what else brings delight because God delights over us, and he does it with singing and dancing and I don't think it's a dirge! What's more, he surrounds us with people, places, passions and products that bring warmth to our heart and a smile to our face.
What brings delight in you? How does that overflow into joy and thankfulness? I don't think this 'Christ filled' life is meant to be one full of sombre talk & sour face.
Salt of the earth
In my gap year, I gave my first ever talk and it was based on the verse in Matthew 5:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?".
I talked about flavour as well as purity, and how often we rested just on purity as if flavour was unpure! That we were not to engage in toxic positivity - too much salt spoils, but to add flavour wherever we go. The bible talks of joy overflowing with words such as 'laughter, 'dancing', 'song' as well as strength & endurance. Proverbs 15:20 talks of a 'cheerful look bringing joy to the heart'. We are not only to overflow in joy but to bring joy to others, wherever we go.
Recently I heard someone say, they had tried for years to get up early to pray, and that all it ended up with them being was grumpy! Instead they found a routine that worked with their body and not overflow with joy as well as a thriving prayer life! How often do we add things to our life that bring out the grump and not the grateful! I want to surround myself with that which warms my heart, brings a smile to my face and thankfulness from my lips.
I've decided I've got more investigating to go in joy, so April is going to be the second month of me exploring what brings me joy and delight. Not only that, I want to express the joy that God has given me, in a joyful way! Laugh! Dance! Sing and overflow with thankfulness! Will you join me? - L
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