Joy, God With Us
JonFe de Torres, O.C.D.
There is something in each person that can be awakened just by seeing a new born baby’s smile, or the tenderness of first spring flowers, or the beauty of the sky, and everything in between. This is joy which is innate in every person’s soul. This is joy that we are born with. It is deeper than pleasure, it is lasting. Joy is a spring within the core of our being where deep tranquil peace comes from. When life is getting to be more challenging and drains one’s energy, this place within our heart, where joy resides, can be an oasis, from which we can draw hope and inspiration.
One’s attitude is a key that can open the gate to that spring of joy within. We may not be able to control the things happening around us, but we can change our attitude and our way of looking at things. Helen Steiner Rice, in one of her poems, mentioned that, “God will never send us pleasure, when our soul’s deep need is pain”. Joy is like a rainbow after a rainstorm. It makes it possible for us to gain from what seems to be an unfortunate event in our life. Joy, along with peace, brings us to a state of consciousness, where we are able to accept the fact, that behind the curtain of doubt and insecurity, God is waiting to embrace us, and assure us that God’s love and presence is with us always.
Joy and Sorrow, Inseparable
According to Kahlil Gibran, “Joy and sorrow are inseparable. Together they come, and when one sits alone with you, remember that one is asleep upon your bed”. They are different sides to the same coin. The innate joy with which we are born, is like an ember, an ember fanned by circumstances and events in our lives, to stir up the fires of happiness, contentment and peace, and finally energize us to go on discovering and fulfilling our unique purpose of being.
In the gospel according to John, Jesus said, “I have come in order that you might have life – life in all it’s fullness”. We are meant for joy and fullness of life. Joy is energy in motion that prompts you and me to bear fruit and positively affect the world around us. As we go forward with our journey, our lives are enriched with life giving experiences.
A Path Towards Fullness of Joy
As we go forward we make our path towards the fullness of joy, towards the fullness of life. Joy is knowing and believing that God is always with us. According to Eleanor Duse : “If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive”.
