I sure want to feel joyful during this Advent season, filling my lungs with robust breaths shouting out “JOY TO THE WORLD!” It’s Christmas season after all, and JOY is the Advent word to contemplate this week.
Ba Humbug! I just don’t feel it.
I’ve been avoiding Christmas shopping, yet yesterday on the way into the gym, the department store windows with diamond white blinking Christmas lights, filled with presents shining in colorful wrappings with green and red bows, sparked childhood Christmas memories of walking with my grandma into Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, a special treat during Christmas season before going to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. For brief moments, soft snow puffs fell upon me, a song ringing in my heart, “Sleighbells ring, are you listening, in a land snow is glistening, a beautiful sight, I’m happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland”. Mind you, it’s 80 degrees in San Diego. The Christmasy store beckoned. I went in. Yet, not more than a minute later, a spell of nausea and dizziness struck. Displays of jewelry, bubble bath, fuzzy socks and fancy clothes turned into animated cartoon characters grabbing hold of my hands, jumping on my back, tugging at my shirt sleeves as I tried to break free, running fast out the door unable to take a breath.
The more we follow the way of Christ, the more Christmastime USA brings flu-like symptoms. This is actually a good thing when we can get under our skin to find the true meaning of Christmas, where authentic joy sits on the warmer like hot chocolate and a cozy blanket waiting for us to curl up by it’s fire.
There’s always darkness first before the dawn. Advent is a season of darkness and expectant awaiting for new birth, the birth of Christ, the light of the world. In some Christian traditions, we light the candles for four weeks before Christmas; week one for hope, two for peace, this week for joy, and Christmas Eve we light the candle for love. I’ve found that contemplating each word in prayerfulness the first two weeks was much like shining a dirty diamond — despair revealed hope and hope shepherded me to the heart of Christ’s peace. Just the same, in prayerfully contemplating joy this week, I must first wipe the grime off the American Christmas version of joy, discovering the gem of gems that shines beneath, where the heart of Christ blazes.
Writing this begins my prayerful expedition excavating joy this Advent week. These unfolding words reveal a tiny glimmer, like a warm glow of logs burning in a fireplace deep within, where the presence of the joy of Christ resides. It reminds me Christ is always with us even in the stormy, charcoal colored clouds that shroud our lives, our nation and our moods. This warm glow brings a sense that with deeper contemplation, with expectancy, with cherished hope and peace, I will sing JOY TO THE WORLD with gusto, finding joy naturally unfolding into the epiphany– the LOVE we light in the candle in our hearts on Christmas Eve.
Will you join me?
Although I’m overwhelmed by the amount of times joy and joyful is mentioned in the Bible when I look in the index, which makes me believe joy is an overriding theme in the story of life, here are a few scriptures to begin with:
Isaiah 35; Isaiah 49:13; Psalm 29:7; Psalm 47:1; Luke 1:8-11
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Wow i like it, real joy indeed
Thanks so much Sethunya! Blessings!
Love this post! Sometimes joy seems far away when really it is not so, far… really God is just waiting for us to except the joy HE can bring!
Thanks so much for your words Hope! Blessings!
“It reminds me Christ is always with us even in the stormy, charcoal colored clouds that shroud our lives, our nation, our moods.” Amen! May the amazing knowledge of the King of Kings being with us sink in ever deeper and cause wellsprings of joy to overflow our hearts. Thank-you for this beautiful message!
Blessings Wendy! Love having you visit again, and inspired by your beautifuly faith and strength!
“It reminds me Christ is always with us even in the stormy, charcoal colored clouds that shroud our lives…” And that is reason enough to sing with joy! Thanks for reminding us that we don’t have to live by our feelings but by the truth of Jesus’ presence with us.
Hi Lisa, always great to hear from you! Thanks for visiting! I’ll come by soon!
We all need to remind one another don’t we! Blessings, may Christ burn in your heart this Christmas season!
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perserverance.
This scripture reminds me that “Life does not get easier, we just get stronger.” It is in this truth where once again it is clear that I must continuously follow “Thy will” over “My will”. And so, even when it is not evident that perserverance may bring JOY, I know through many challenging life experiences that staying power, steadfastness, purposefulness, tenacity and determination brings a joyful result. As I continue to try to lift myself from this heavy cloud over our nation and be joyful for this holiday…..I had a great epiphany today for gifting my beloved nieces and son with something that I believe would be spirit lifting. My family all loves all aspects of nature and so I just made reservations for all of us to take a trail ride together at The Big Schott Ranch in beautiful Ramona, California. I am feeling VERY JOYFUL about riding through the rolling hills and under gorgeous California Oak trees with my beloveds. I also felt great joy viewing the Super Moon tonight. Thank you Kathy for reminding me where I find my joy.
This is beautiful and so well said..and James’ scripture has always been challening but it speaks the essence of faith.
I love your gift to your family, nature experiences as gifts are such a great idea. What a memorable Christmas it will be!
You’re inspiring me to give a gift of an experience for my family!
What timing! In the background a song plays, “Joyful, joyful we adore you….” I know I await joy sometimes, by awaiting to be happy, which is not really joy at all is it? Being content without all the glittery stuff that can even give you the flu, is the element of joy. Still learning….Thanks for this! I also just opened up my bible to Isaiah just due to being here. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
I’m so glad you’re inspired like me to seek the meaning of Christ beyond the Christmasy fluff and open your heart to the joy of the spirit that fills us always, we just need to remember! Blessings Lynn!
Joy is more than a feeling. It’s a gift from the Holy Spirit that resides in us. May you recognize this holy joy despite circumstance and live from it this season and always. 💜
I love this..yes, it joy is not a feeling, it’s a Holy Spirit gift within us! Beautiful message.
I have been contemplating what to write for my “Christmas poem” that I annually produce to put into my Christmas cards. Your message on finding authentic joy despite the deceptive glitter of our commercial version of Christmas has sparked my muse to write about this search. Thank you for your words that reflect how we need to seek God’s peace to result in joy will come when we are in His presence.
So grateful this inspired you Kathy! Have a blessed holiday!
And once again you speak to my soul, Kathy. I caught a glimpse of joy at some point this month, but it’s rather drowning now in my girl’s sickness, plans for an upcoming procedure on my foot which will leave me off of it for two weeks- now scurrying to GET ALL THE THINGS DONE, and well, just the ongoing life wheels that keep- going. I long for the Joy to find its way back. Along with the hope and the peace… and the LOVE.
I’m so glad God offers us the invitation for it all to come into our hearts- if we allow it to.
It’s a matter of choice… and I will CHOOSE wisely as best I can. <3
Thank you for always inspiring me to choose well, my friend.
Amen. Our joy remains in Him although the world creates its own glittery ficade of what joy looks like at Christmas. Sparkle or no sparkle, I will choose joy.
Amen Natalie!!
I didn’t see a comment area on your blog..but loved the insight into comparison — and how true of Elizabeth’s joy for Mary, a great example on how we need to rejoice in other’s gifts and grow our own.