Rediscovering Joy

I saw her at church a little less than a year ago. I didn’t have an opportunity to visit with her before she slipped out the door, but I hoped to see her again. She had such an ease about her way.
 
I did see her again a few weeks later at Starbucks. We struck up a conversation. After Starbucks, she was on her way to the local health club to exercise. We had an opportunity to pray together before we parted ways. 

These are normal everyday occurrences. Stopping at Starbucks. Exercising at the health club.
 
There’s just one difference. She was homeless. 

I don’t know what circumstances led to her homelessness, but she’s been placed in my path multiple times throughout the last year. Each time I have the pleasure of seeing her, joy seeps out of her pores despite her situation. There were times that I could identify deep pain behind her eyes, but joy and gracious speech came through her. 

On the way to pick up our grocery order recently, I saw her. She was waiting to cross the intersection I was driving through. I turned around and caught up with her. The cold, rainy day left a chill hovering in the air. Hunkered against the wind, she carried a few bags from a trip to the store. 

I learned she had been able to get an apartment, and her homeless days were thankfully behind her. When I asked if there was a specific need I could meet, she replied that she was perfectly fine. She had everything she needed. 

Everything she needed. 

Prior to that moment, I felt like my joy was hiding. Everywhere I looked, piles surrounded me. Piles of laundry. Piles of dishes in the sink. Piles on the list of things I needed to remember not to forget… Somewhere underneath those piles, a spark of joy waited for me to rediscover it. 

The joy was always there, it was I who hid it. I allowed my piles to become the focal point of my thoughts. How will I get it all done? This laundry will take days to finish. Those dishes will probably require two loads worth of dishwasher runs and some hand washing to boot to get to the stainless steel bottom of the sink again. 

My perspective was skewed. As I pulled away and watched her continue on her path, realization washed over me. 

I was driving to the grocery store in the comfort of my heated car. I was going to fill the back end of my car with all the foods needed to feed my family for a week. I was then going to drive them to my home and unload them where warmth awaited to welcome me. 

There it was. The spark of joy waiting to be rediscovered. 

This rediscovery brought a deeper appreciation of the blessings I’ve come to know on this terrestrial ball. Each person’s blessings are stewarded differently. 

I have learned a lot from this woman and the way she chooses to steward joy. 

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” James 1:2 (NKJV)

When we start to feel ‘piled up’ in the hamster wheel pace we sometimes find ourselves living in, may we step off the wheel and rediscover our joy. 

It’s waiting for us. At times, we just need a fresh perspective. 

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”Psalm 126:3 (NIV)