Learning Joy

[Wow! Blogger has changed.... it's been awhile since I've posted, obviously!]

I lean toward negativity/pessimism, naturally-speaking, but recently, I have been learning a little bit about joy. It's a slow process, but I'm kind of excited about it. 

A few months back was a very challenging time for me. Teaching was difficult and I felt stuck and hopeless frequently. It wasn't pleasant but I didn't know what I could do to change life. 

Fast forward awhile, past the days of surviving, to a Jewelry Party of all things. A lady from our book club started a new job of selling jewelry and other things from Initial Outfitters and I was invited to the house party next door. I'm not a big jewelry wearer, but there were some pretty things and I wanted to buy something to support my friend, so I was looking for something small that I could attach some meaning to. Because I'm not a big wearer of jewelry for various reasons, I usually like to attach some meaning to whatever I wear - at least if it is something I wear regularly. For example, my celtic ring is my "2 Corinthians 12:10" ring ("for the sake of Christ then, I am content"). So I wanted to find something that would inspire me or remind me of something uplifting or edifying. I found a little pendant with Joy! on it. Hmmm... that's a good message of which I need a regular reminder. So I bought it and I love it and I wear it nearly every day. But it also got me thinking. Things are better at school, but still a challenge, and I still have grumpy-limited-patience-stressed-filled days. I would remember my necklace and think, "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be joyful.... um... how?" But at least I was thinking about it more regularly. 

I frequent Facebook more often than I ought. But I saw a few comments a little while ago about a book (oh, and I heard it mentioned at the Women's Retreat) called One Thousand Gifts. A friend linked to some of her quotes, so I went to check out her facebook page and was intrigued. I then saw that her book was at a discounted price, so I bought it on a whim. When it arrived in the mail I started it and was amazed at how I was drawn right in, and how easy it was to read (once you got used to the different style... poetic in a way? and a little rough around the edges). But I didn't get very far before life was too busy for reading again (plus I started a Louis L'Amour - much more gripping). 

Last Sunday the message started out with a great tongue-in-cheek statement: "So it turns out that this too is the day the Lord has made, so I guess we have to rejoice in it." It was kind of a refreshing way to look at the verse, and realize what an amazing gift we receive every day! We also talked about the verse about God giving us the desire of our heart, when we first delight in the Lord! What does it mean to delight? Could I wake up each morning with my first thought being one of rejoicing and delighting? I was intrigued and desirous of that possibility. We talked about the Beatitudes: each one a negative circumstance, yet followed by a blessing. He understands the hardships of life and He promises more than that! Then we looked up a whole host of verses about PRAISING God! It was good! 

So this week started out well. Monday morning (after making sign that said DELIGHT and hanging it next to my bed as a reminder) I got up early, and took time to pray, work on delighting, and started reading through a devotional book that I got at the end of last school year. Amazingly enough, it is called Joy. Yeah, appropriate. :) I think I had read the first devotion last year or so, but I read it again. I was able to do the same thing on Tuesday morning and that was called "Joy in Repentance" which was good and thought-provoking.

But the latest aspect of learning Joy that has got me thinking so much, is from the One Thousand Gifts book. One chapter which I read late last night was very extra insightful. Let me give you some bits and pieces and underlinings:

With an expiration of less than twelve hours what does Jesus count as all most important?

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them.... (Luke 22:19)

In the original language, "he gave thanks" reads "eucharisteo."

The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning "grace." Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks.

Eucharisteo, thanksgiing, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning "joy."

Deep chara joy is found only at the table of the euCHARisteo --- the table of thanksgiving.

Is the height of my chara joy dependent on the depths of my eucharisteo thanks?

As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning --- now; wherever, meaning --- here.

The only place we need see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now.

Combining that thought of thanksgiving, with the message from church of praising/rejoicing, I have been working on thanking God for His blessings, and recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. It's been a good exercise and a positive experience, and I think I see some of the result: a little more joy in my life. So in closing, let me be thankful for some things in the recent past:

*Thankful that when our basement flooded and put out the furnace pilot light (or something... I'm not really sure what) so that we had to go a day or so without hot water, that it did not totally ruin the furnace requiring us to get a new one!

*Thankful that my week of teaching was bearable, and even entertaining at some points. My kids are funny.

*Thankful for a good church service that stuck with me throughout the week, and for the dear people at our little church, and for the guest, Missy, who had stunning green eyes. :)

*Thankful for extra money coming in via piano lessons - can't wait to buy a new laptop!

*Thankful for a nice group of ladies coming to our house for a Pampered Chef party this week and a delightful lady to put on the show.

*Thankful for people chipping in and offering their help at the Family Convention!
*Thankful for a great week of correspondence with my eldest sister via email!

*Thankful for work done on prep, brainstorming, list-making, etc for the Family Convention this week

*Thankful for a car that is running pretty well
*Thankful for sunshine and a walking buddy on Wednesday with a chance to have conversations with support/encouragement going both ways
*Thankful for the best possible family who are such dear friends as well!
*Thankful there are only 10.5 days left of the school year!
*Thankful for the prospect of a wonderful summer with happy times :)

*Thankful for a long weekend, and the fact that I can now go to bed!

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.