Joy.
Henri Nouwen shared this about joy,
Joy does not simply happen to us.
We have to choose joy,
And keep choosing it every day.
So if we reflect on joy,
We should also reflect on the idea of happiness as well.
Happiness is often linked mostly to external circumstances,
Such as the birth of a new baby,
A wedding,
A new job,
Travel,
Adventure,
Meeting up with friends and family.
Happiness externally is different for each person.
Joy,
On the other hand,
Is an internal journey to finding beauty within,
A connection to our own soul,
That no matter what appears to be happening externally,
No matter what we are facing,
Whether happy or sad,
Joyful or angry,
Joy can still be accessed and connected to on the inside,
Because it comes from our inner voice that cannot be silenced.
Helen Keller said,
Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm,
And our intelligence aglow.
And sometimes in special moments,
Our happiness externally and our joy internally join together on our path.
This truly is a blessing.
The hard work emotionally and mentally is when outer circumstances don't feel so happy,
But seem heavy and difficult at times.
These are the moments to learn from,
To grow from,
That crack us open.
The question then becomes,
When we break,
Can we be held together by our soul,
And allow the soul to enter in and illuminate these cracks by allowing joy to be the glue that keeps us together through life?
The following is a poem that I wrote that I would like to share with you today.
It is a contemplation on who joy can be in our lives and how she shows up for us.
I hope you enjoy it.
I would also like to give thanks to musician Chris Collins for providing the music that brings this poem,
Joy,
To life.
Joy,
Sometimes in small,
Imperceptible waves,
Comes washing over you in the darkness,
Unexpected and bright.
You welcome her in filling yourself with her presence.
A step lightly here,
A leap over there,
Over stones and bricks and jagged walls that once standing have now collapsed.
Joy sings to you that there are no places,
No matter how dark or full of fear,
That she cannot go.
There is no space she cannot enter into.
A tired,
Weary traveler she embraces.
A wounded warrior she heals.
Filling in the cracks,
She lives in the very air that we breathe.
And as we gain our strength on our journey through life,
We can begin to look forward at the horizon and not always down at our feet,
Wondering if we might fall yet again.
Joy now shines brightly through us and lights our way,
Greeting us with a smiling day.
She holds our hand,
A friend on this path,
And nourishes our soul,
Illuminating all the beautiful cracks.
Joy is the glue that holds us together.
And as joy grows in these spaces,
We can even take time to look behind ourselves,
Catching sight of those who also need a helping hand.
As we reach out,
Joy connects us with those looking for a way forward as well.
Light never ends,
And neither does joy.
So when she comes knocking,
Open up the door and let her in.
No matter where you are on your path,
No matter what it looks like on the outside,
Joy is always present.
Just call her into your heart,
And she will show up at your side,
Rain or shine.
I would like to invite you to take some time throughout your day to invite joy to enter into your life and contemplate how she walks with you on your path.
If you feel called to leave a comment sharing your own experience of how joy shows up in your life,
I would love to hear from you.
It helps all of us to connect on our journeys together when we are together.
Thank you so much for listening.
Have a beautiful day.
Namaste.
