Joy can be BIG
It can be trumpets and fireworks.
It can be shouted from the rooftops—
Billboard-proclaiming,
News-breaking,
Ticker-tape parading
kind of BIG!
It can move
your feet to dance,
your heart to laugh,
your toes to curl, and
your arms want to embrace the world.
It can fill your chest with hope,
your eyes with tears, and
your world with light.
Joy can be BIG and
loud and
dramatic.
But it can also be small—
It can be quiet and so subtle that sometimes it gets overlooked.
It can be a smile, the squeeze of a friendly hand, the sneeze of a baby.
It can be a snoring dog or purring cat.
It’s the first bite of your favorite meal and a cool breeze on a hot day.
It’s falling-into-bed at night and a good stretch in the morning.
It’s watching the rise and fall of your beloved’s chest as they dream.
It’s the sigh of relief when you didn’t know you were holding your breath.
It’s the thing that creeps its way into your heart and curls itself around your deepest sorrows.
It softens rough edges,
soothes old aches, and
heals new hurts in time.
Joy is a faded photograph and a memory being made.
Joy is the beginning and the end—
A refrain and a chorus
It’s moonlight and sunrise
Ocean deep.
Sky wide.
River wild.
Star bright.
Love eternal.
It is precious.
It is free.
It is priceless.
It can’t be bought or
bartered or
borrowed.
But it can be shared.
It can be discovered—
noticed and nurtured.
It can be cultivated and curated with tender loving care.
It is to be treasured.
This JOY is for you,
Beloved of God,
This JOY is you.