Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 (NASB)
Joy- a fruit of the Spirit
Sunday mornings are for hugging my coffee and thoughts. I exhale slow then take another deep breath. Our home is quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. I nestle into my worn and manly Queen Anne chair. It suits my husband better with its hunter green, brick red, and brown stripes; however, it’s become my favorite chair at the early hour. The rest of the world sleeps and no one fights me for it.
Joy
I think about the day before when I almost tossed my computer into the trash in a fit of frustration. When my youngest son heard my verbal scuffle, he sat in the rocker beside me and tried to distract me. I raised an eyebrow in annoyance, and he fired back, “She’s an angry elf!” That was all it took- my sides nearly split. Somehow, he knows how to disband my irritation almost every time. I’m not sure if it’s his good looks or dry humor or because he is the youngest. Regardless, joy creeps into my muck.
Joy comes easy with little ones and sticky Rice Krispy treat smiles. The cereal is flung across the counter onto the floor as my grandchild tries to decide whether or not to stir, taste, or eat it. I want to stop time. His eyes are filled with delight, and he soon wears the evidence of his marshmallow snack in his hair and on his shirt.
Joy
We gather as a family for a birthday celebration and feast on zamboozies, a meat-filled, fried pastry, and apple and shoofly pie with dabs of ice-cream. Then we each sing our own version of “Happy Birthday”, and the birthday host sings louder than most. And so, my smile stretches across the length of the room. I’m thankful for my husband and the noisy laughter that comes with our tradition.
Joy
God has planted royal beauties in the grit and gravel and set boundaries with His morning glories. Recently, we’d noticed that my favorite purple vine had infiltrated our front bushes and the edge of our fields and woods. It had also risen to the top of our tallest pines, and we’d never planted them this year. God sings with delight over us.
Joy is two-fold.
When joy is hard to express, we look to the heavens and rise, and then we look outward and offer a cup- coffee for two, words of mercy or inspiration, or a simple smile. Joy is a choice, a commitment, and a practice. Nehemiah made a way for the exiles to return to Jerusalem and repair and rebuild their walls, gates, and homes. And Jesus made a way for us to come home.
Joy
I bend over the sink and let soapsuds slip through my hands and plates and utensils as I also wash the crumbs from my mind. The Lord our God is in our midst. A victorious warrior has already won our battle. Another day closes as I step toward community and embrace authenticity and heart connection.
Thank you, Jesus, for your shed blood and the way you have set us free!
Lily Mae
~He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17 (NASB)
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