My running playlist changes quite often, depending on my
mood, but there has been one song that has been a repeat contender lately: “Joy”,
by for King and Country. My pace speeds up a bit and I get some funny looks
from people I pass, because I greet them with a silly grin and start humming to
myself. Here’s part of the song:
“And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Oh, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy
Go let it move you, go let it move you, go let it move you”
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Oh, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move, let it move you
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy
Go let it move you, go let it move you, go let it move you”
There are a lot of things in this world and in my own life
that could cause me to curl up in a fetal position in bed, cover my head with
my pillow, and cry my eyes out… or at least just want to hide from it all.
Living in rural West Africa can be hard, even for someone who’s lived most of
her adult life in this environment. Having three kids on the other side of the
world-one serving in the army- thousands of miles away, is no picnic, I tell
you. Being a woman in her upper 40s and the… ahem… symptoms that come with
that. Well, I don’t need to go into details, but let me just say, I’m thankful
that my husband is filled with the Holy Spirit and extends me grace I don’t
deserve. Speaking of him, he keeps up with the world news and makes sure that I’m
informed. There are times I just want to cover my ears and say, “That’s enough!
I don’t wanna know!”
With so many BIG things that can weigh on me (and believe me,
there are those I’m not mentioning), if I didn’t have the joy of being safely
in my Father’s care, and know that He is going to make all things work out for
the good of me and others that love Him, I would be a pretty grumpy or even
despondent person. I ask Him to help me find those little things to counteract
the big things, that can bring me splashes of joy thoughout each day. I was
thinking about this, as I cut up a chicken to fix for lunch today.
I placed it in the sink, prepared to get my hands dirty,
reaching in to remove the guts, and lo and behold, the guts were neatly wrapped
up in a little plastic baggie. This may not make the corners of your lips turn
upward, but believe me, it got me grinning from ear-to-ear. Whoever processed
this chicken I bought locally took the time to clean the insides, and, in case
I still needed them, wrapped the guts up like a present. This made me think of
other little things that have brought me joy this week.
The other day I was chatting with a friend from Georgia about
life, our kids, etc. and she accidentally hit the call button. I was changing
clothes at the time, so I didn’t get to answer, and called her back when I was
dressed. She told me, “I actually called you by accident. I don’t even know how
I hit that button!” But it was ok, cause we proceeded to talk for several
minutes. It gave me such joy to hear her voice, with its inflections, chuckles,
and the occasional “mmhmm” when I said something she agreed with. Hearing my
friend meant so much more than just seeing her words on my computer screen. I
very seldom get to speak English with other women (unless one of my
daughters calls me!) because of where I live.
Early this morning, I was coming near the end of my run, and
it just happened to be on the major highway that goes through our town. I try
to avoid running on it very much (on the shoulder, if course), because, well,
folks drive crazy here. Also, motorbikes and horsecarts tend to take the
shoulder to make way for cars and trucks, so I could find myself taking a dive
into thorn bushes which “adorn” the sides of the road. Not my idea of a good
time. As I was nearing the turn for my road, there was a large truck heading my
direction, with a horsecart running parallel on the shoulder, slightly ahead of
the truck. The horsecart driver caught my eye, smiled just a bit, and nodded,
then looked over his shoulder and put his hand out, palm down, and waved it up
and down (the gesture that means “slow down” here), so the truck driver would
take notice. Then, he clicked his tongue and snapped the reigns, and drove the
horse out in front of the truck. As I ran past, we nodded at each other, and
went on our way. I couldn’t help but smile at the chivalry of it.
Joy is not something that comes from circumstances. It’s not a
momentary event that’s drummed up by celebrations and holidays. It is an
eternal state of being that can flow from a never-ending stream, with little
effect from hard times and pain. An outpouring of this constant joy is a heart
that sees the good in each day, bringing light in the midst of the valley of
darkness, so that you’re not over-taken. If we let it, joy can propel us onward
when our instinct may normally be to give up and hide.
I haven’t got it all figured out, and I certainly haven’t
perfected the process, but I’m still breathing, and the Holy Spirit is still
sanctifying, so I’m getting better at it! I know this is true, because years
ago, a bag of guts in the middle of my chicken used to have a much different
effect on me 😉
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