Today, Megan was playing with Eli and instantly the giggles turned to tears. Megan was all dressed for dance class, in her cute leotard, and wearing a pair of tights. She was dragging around a balloon that was tied to a ribbon, and running around the kitchen table while Eli was watching the commotion. He waited anxiously each time she circled the table to run past him, with hopes that he would finally capture this mysterious toy. It was fun to watch, but more fun to listen to. The giggles were so loud and continuous. I was beginning to wonder how long it could go on, when Megan slid on the floor in her slick tights and smashed her leg into a planter that holds a potted plant. Instantly the tears poured out of her eyes as I assessed the damage. Fortunately, I think she will survive, with a nice knot and bruise to show for the incident. We both decided that running in the house in tights probably was not a great choice.
The reason I share this story is that it made me think of how quickly the laughter in our lives can turn to tears, unless we have true joy in our hearts. I can recall times in my life when laughter turned to tears -- news of a tragedy, the loss of a family member, personal feelings of failure. What I have learned from these times is that happiness is temporary, and joy is much deeper.
Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. If we have joy, we have evidence of God's spirit living inside us. Wow! Joy says that our spirit will not be defeated by a bad day. Our spirit will not yield to rudeness. Our spirit will not be crushed by hurtful words. Having joy doesn't mean always being happy about all the things that are happening in our lives. Of course, we will have troubles and we will hurt.
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again, rejoice!" I am sure Paul had some pretty rough days. He had adventures that I don't wish to experience, and as he writes this passage on joy, he is sitting in a prison cell in Rome, where he spent two years.
If Paul can maintain joy in a dirty, dark, cold prison cell, then why do we sometimes struggle with joy? If you know someone who seems to have it all together, and nothing seems to rattle them, you may know someone who is filled with joy. Rest assured, they probably have their share of problems and have a good dose of bad days. Joy is a choice, and I choose joy.
Heavenly Father, my King,
Today, I ask You to be fill me with Your Spirit.
Teach me to love the unlovable.
Fill me with joy that consumes my thoughts.
Give me peace when I am anxious.
Lord, give me patience -- lots of patience.
Teach me kindness when I want to be selfish.
Remind me of Your goodness so I can share it with others.
Let there be no question of my faithfulness.
Let gentleness guide my words and actions.
And give me self-control to make wise choices.
Above all, let You be glorified through me today!
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