Joy — Guaranteed Sign of God's Presence
By Joan Weber
I know a woman who smiles constantly. Theresa has permanent lines etched into her face from days and weeks and years of joyful living. People who meet her sometimes wonder why she is so happy. After all, she lives a very simple life. She buys all of her clothes at St. Vincent de Paul or other used clothing shops, and she doesn't own many possessions. She never gets enough sleep because she is always on the move. But she laughs all the time.
Do you want to know her secret? Teresa is absolutely sure that God loves her. She spends her hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament each day and when she walks away she is renewed by her experience of God's love. She shares the Good News of Jesus (and she really believes that it is good news) with anyone willing to listen. And she laughs a lot.
Perhaps the greatest gift we can share with others is the joy of our faith. We have a God who loves us unconditionally, whose Son became one of us to show us how limitless God's love is, and whose Spirit dwells within us. We know we are destined for eternal life with God in heaven. Contrast this with the headlines in today's newspaper: suffering and oppression, violence and despair, hunger and hopelessness. We can't solve these problems with a smile but we can bring a little more joy into a hurting world.
The prophet Isaiah described the joy which the Messiah would bring when he wrote:
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy...And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:5-6, 10)
We are called to share the Good News of Jesus with the world. We are called to do this through our words, our actions, and our Christian optimism. The atheist Nietzsche once said, "If those Christians want us to believe in their Redeemer, why don't they act more redeemed?" Why don't we?
Joshua Blakesley captured the joy of believing in his rendition of Martin Smith's Happy Song. He sings:
I could sing unending songs
of how you saved my soul.
I could dance a thousand miles
because of your great love.
My heart is burstin', Lord,
to tell of all you've done,
Of how you changed my life
and wiped away the past.
I want to shout it out,
from every rooftop sing
for now I know that God is for me,
not against me.
Everybody's singin' now, 'cause we're so happy.
Everybody's dancin' now, 'cause we're so free.
If only we could see your face.
See you smilin' over us, unseen angels celebrate.
Hey! Joy is in this place.
Let's pray for the awareness of God's blessings in our lives and the joy they bring to us:
God of love and laughter, help me to be a person of joy. Even when times are tough, help me remember that your love is constant and always with me. Make me a channel of joy for those who need joy. Keep me hopeful as I trust in your presence. Amen!
Related Link:
(This prayer link connects the reader with the joy that comes from daily reflection on God's presence in our lives.)
Spirit Compass reflections are developed in partnership
with the Center for Ministry Development.