Advent - Joy

A few years ago our family went through a time of deep crisis. Everything seemed to be falling apart all around us and I gave myself the responsibility of “keeping it all going”. I felt I needed to make sure that our kids lives continued in as much of a routine as they could, that everyone was still fed, that clothes were still clean, that animals were tended to. 

During this time I clearly recall being in the van doing all the drop offs for school and thinking “Why am I not falling apart?” At first I thought it’s likely I’m just running on adrenaline and that sooner or later I would crash. But soon after I felt a little nudge that what was keeping me going was much more supernatural than adrenaline - it was joy. 

This surprised me, because my definition of joy was definitely NOT what we were going through. But the way I defined joy was not the way that God defined joy. The meaning of the verse “The joy of the Lord is my strength” was made very clear to me in ways it never had been before. 

What I had was a strength that couldn’t be explained. A calm understanding that God had it under control and I could rest in that. 

Joy.

My life was heavy, but my heart was light! 

This week of Advent we focus on joy. “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” In Biblical times the world was groaning under the weight of war, oppression, and darkness and desperately searching for the light.

When the Messiah came there would be true joy! A calm understanding that God had it under control and that His people could rest in that. A lightness of heart that could only be explained by the knowledge of the Holy One.  Even if the world was heavy, hearts didn’t have to be!

Isn't it just the same today? 

I pray that during this week of meditating on Joy that you will be, as C.S. Lewis so aptly put it “Surprised by Joy”.