Joy is...

Joy is found in rare things. I do not mean rare things as in antiques or one off productions. What I am thinking about are the rare things that happen once in a while.

When I was a child we only had fireworks once a year, on what we called Bonfire Night. We enjoy it so much. These days’ when fireworks are part of every function, show and festival, I find myself not enjoying them nearly as much. There was a time when life’s little extras were given at birthdays and Christmas now we have so many extras that we struggle to appreciate what we have let alone find joy in them.

Christmas was made special because you got to taste certain foods, drinks and sweets. Easter time was a special time for Easter buns and chocolate. By making these things commonplace we remove their speciality and the joy of experiencing them once in a while.

I found joy recently in the birthday messages that I received from family and friends. They can only happen on my birthday and they brought me joy. Yes, in times of drought we experience joy when rain finally falls. It doesn’t take long when it continually rains and floods for people to lose the joy of having rain fall. There is joy in being able to trust someone because these days trust is something that is rare in people.

Finally there is only one God that cares for me, that I can trust and will never be ordinary so I find joy in Him. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25