Joy is an interesting thing. It's defined this way. The emotion evoked by well-being. It's called for over 200 times in the Bible. Nehemiah taught that the joy of the Lord is our strength and Paul commanded not once but twice that God's people should be joyful. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Who has a deeper sense of well being than a friend of Jesus? He has brought peace to our souls. The need for joy and how to protect it is something we discussed for hours while I was in Colorado. I was reminded that joy can be punctured, deflated, even smothered by the harsh surroundings of this world if we're not careful. I was trained to maintain a healthy vertical focus. Looking horizontally alone, there is much sadness to be found. For a season, all I seemed to find looking across the span of others lives was death, heartache, grief and darkness. It's easy to be depressed by gazing at this fallen world without the balance of looking upward. In 1922, these words were written yet they still ring out around the world. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace." The vertical view. The epicenter of joy. Refusing to become joyless...no matter what. Paul commanded rejoicing in one of the darkest periods of his life. I feel strength pouring back into me. I am so grateful.
PS: Annie and I caught up on a few films we have wanted to see. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close blew us away. I have never seen a child actor put out that level of intensity and depth in a performance and certainly not one who has never acted before. Thomas Horn was discovered because someone on the production team saw him as a contestant on Jeopardy/Kids Week. Very moving story and this kid carried the film.
