Advent 2013 Week 4: JOY

Much like New York, joy is a state of mind. Dave's mom is the quintessential illustration of joy. Her personal slogan, which I've heard many times through the years, proves my point.

I will let nothing rob me of my joy today.

She would recite this when anything was amiss:  lost car keys, delayed flights, plans run amok. And now I see her living it out as her husband's mind is tragically being twisted by dementia. She is a living demonstration of that crazy call of James

when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 

Like I said, crazy, right? How can one find great joy in the midst of troubles? Dee practiced it for decades: through choosing joy as a response to all circumstance. To slow down, enjoy people, and find God's presence in every situation.

Last night we sang Christmas carols with some new friends here in Vienna. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen was especially poignant to me.

God rest you merry, Gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Savior
Was born upon this day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
    O tidings of comfort and joy,
    Comfort and joy
    O tidings of comfort and joy.

To understand the carol, one must have a little old English refresher. The word rest means "keep" or "make" with you being the recipient of the keeping or making. Those pesky commas play a critical role as well, much like "Let's eat grandma" makes much more sense as "Let's eat, grandma." This isn't referring to "merry gentlemen" at all, it's a blessing and wish that God would make us merry, filled with joy. When we sing this carol we are announcing that God brings us comfort, He is the source of our joy.

Dee learned Joy from her parents.  They were the most adorable people, who liked to wear matching clothes. Clarence memorized and on many occasions recited Psalm 100. May God grant you joy found not in circumstance, but in a deep abiding understanding of who He is and His great love for you.

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving. 
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.