Joy
Joy:
- a feeling of happiness
- something or someone that provides great pleasure
- an emotional state of being happy
- one of the greatest philosophical quandaries of all time.
Joy is so much more than all of that. Joy runs deeper than happiness. Joy is more than delight. More than peace. Joy is deeper than pleasure, especially in the spiritual context. When I think of the word joy and what it means I find it hard to express properly. It is something, for me, that can only be spiritual or religious. I can think about it and swell with emotion deep inside for joy can only be felt at the depths of my soul. I think about the word joy and I feel oh, so, tiny. Joy is a funny little word, isn’t it? A small three letter word, yet I find it as something bigger than this world. Something greater than the limitations that this world can put on it. These days in my life are hard. I am at a hard place right now. I have been for a long time. I know that this place I am in will be different some day. I know that it will change. Even in the midst of these great struggles I find joy. I do not equate joy with being happy. As I have been thinking about it I realize that even though I have not been happy in a long time, I still see Joy in my life. I can rejoice in my life. The joy is what keeps me going from day to day.
Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Joy is so deep and strong that it can not be held back. Joy is loud. Joy is musical and jubilant!
Psalm 27:6
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.Psalm 92:4
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.Psalm 95:1
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!Psalm 98:4
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!Psalm 98:6
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
I can’t think of joy without thinking of something so great that it makes me want to just burst right open. Joy can not be contained.
But my joy in daily life, in the simple pleasures of my home and my surroundings are not too hard to find, even when life is not heavy. I have an awesome God. He gave me many abilities and gifts with which I can find human joy. Pleasures he gave me to build on and use. He gave me great joy in my children. He gave me great joy in family beyond which water is so much thicker than blood.
My hands are not pretty hands. My hands are short, kind of squat. My nails never grow to a pretty length before they break or tear and need to be trimmed. I don’t keep them polished because that just draws attention to them. My fingers are often dry and cracked. I usually have at least one hangnail. My skin is a bit leathery, but soft most of the time. I do try to “keep them up”. I have scars from bites and cuts, fights with the teeth of animals and a few other sharp objects along the way. Most of my life I have been ashamed of my hands. Ashamed is really a bit strong of a word, but embarrassed would be a good one. My hands are by no means manly, but they are pretty feminine hands either.
Recently, while holding my sweet baby Bairno I got a long look at my hands and had a bit of a revelation about my hands. I like my hands. No. I love my hands. My hands function beautifully. My hands have done things that and been places that many hands have not.
- My hands have filed papers for eight hour days, for weeks on end so that I could get paid money so I could eat.
- My hands have gotten greasy and dirty doing menial, disgusting cleaning.
- My hands have dug graves for beloved pets that have died.
- My hands have held down animals that were so injured they had no hope and needed to leave this world peacefully.
- My hands have been chewed to bits holding down dogs and cats for treatment that were burned in a fire at an animal shelter.
- My hands have treated those same animals for weeks on end.
- My hands have been licked by those same animals that once chewed them as they learned my hands were helping them.
- My hands have held death.
- My hands have held life.
- My hands have stroked a new baby’s head while it took it’s first breath.
- My hands have held the tiny fingers and watched them grow.
- My hands have cleaned the bottoms and faces and hands of those same children many times, and will do it many more times.
- My hands have kneaded bread to feed my family (literally and figuratively).
- My hands have gathered eggs and milked a cow.
- My hands have made cookies, just because.
- My hands have created beautiful things for my children and for others.
- My hands have played beautiful music for the Lord on instruments.
- My hands have lifted high in praise to the Lord.
- My hands are a gift from the Lord.
My hands are not mighty or perfect. My hands are nothing compared to the hands that created me. But my hands are a part of the body God gave me. My hands were created in His image. Not liking my hands is denying what God gave me. God gave me hands and expected me to use them. He gave me gifts so that I can use them beyond daily duties and means. He gave me the ability to create and the desire to do so. I can make beautiful things with some fabric and some thread and a needle. I can type this blog entry because of my hands. I am grateful for my hands. And I realize that all these things I can do with my hands are all gifts of joy to someone else. On some level the things my hands have done have brought joy or peace somewhere, to someone. My hands are not perfect and neither am I and I don’t even want to think about the terrible things that my hands have done. I am reminded of the children’s song, “Oh, be careful little hands what you do. Oh be careful little hands what you do. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh be careful little hands what you do.”
It is not my hands that give me joy, it is what I am able to do for others than brings me joy. It is that I am ABLE. I am able for my family. And that brings me joy, the joy in giving that which my hands can do.
Note: All scripture quotes from the English Standard Version of the BIBLE.
So, tell me, what brings you Joy?
“I have an awesome God.’
AMEN!
Joy is knowing the hands of your best friend signed the card she sent for your birthday in pencil, because she coundn’t find a pen. It’s knowing she hand picked gift certificates to iTunes and Starbucks cause she loves you. I love your hands too. Thank you.