walking in joy
Yesterday I was discussing with a friend of mine the things about writing that are hard for me, and that my blog has sat silent for a long time not for lack of inspiration but because my many drafts often feel too incomplete to share to the public world.
She responded, "Well you should write SOMETHING because I check it and there's never anything to read!"
So with that, here we are.
"A journey of a hundred feet must begin with a single step." This line from Hundred Foot Journey penetrated my heart. I like simple things with deep meaning, and I think this is one of those.
Joy is something that, for a long time, I misdefined in my mind. I would think "joy" and I'd think of giddiness, enthusiasm, passionate optimism, and lots of deep-gut laughter. None of that is wrong, certainly not. In fact, it's all quite nice. But after hearing and reciting Nehemiah 8:10 "...the joy of the Lord is your strength" again and again and again I began to feel that the word "joy" needed something more practical than the constant ecstatic bubbliness I felt like that verse meant I should have (and that I did not have). I found a gem. From that verse, when "joy" is looked up in it's original Greek/Hebrew form, it actually translates as "calm delight". I don't know about you but that's way different than the mental image I had. That actually sounds... restful... even safe.
What does that even have to do with the quote? Yes, good question. Well, let's just say at the moment, in my little life, Jesus is teaching me how to walk. I feel stripped down to the vulnerability of a two year old, tottering around and falling back into my Father's arms when my feet get tangled up in each other, and at the same time I feel like an anxious runner being lovingly and patiently asked to slow my pace. He wants me in stride with Him. Right now that means walking... slowly.
The little steps matter, He's showing me. Every single one. "Calm delight" makes me want to take a deep breath, slip my hand into the Lord's, and really take in all there is to see around. There is joy in the journey, so much. Sometimes the pace is fast, yes, and those seasons are beautiful. But sometimes the hundred feet is crossed in small, driven steps, one after another. And in those little, steady steps there's a lot of joy. And when you walk in joy, haha! When you become so caught up in delighting in the Lord, walking alongside Him, you lose track of time and goals. All of a sudden you glance over your shoulder and are amazed to find those hundred feet that at one time seemed so wide and tedious have been crossed in ease and joy, one step at a time.
She responded, "Well you should write SOMETHING because I check it and there's never anything to read!"
So with that, here we are.
"A journey of a hundred feet must begin with a single step." This line from Hundred Foot Journey penetrated my heart. I like simple things with deep meaning, and I think this is one of those.
Joy is something that, for a long time, I misdefined in my mind. I would think "joy" and I'd think of giddiness, enthusiasm, passionate optimism, and lots of deep-gut laughter. None of that is wrong, certainly not. In fact, it's all quite nice. But after hearing and reciting Nehemiah 8:10 "...the joy of the Lord is your strength" again and again and again I began to feel that the word "joy" needed something more practical than the constant ecstatic bubbliness I felt like that verse meant I should have (and that I did not have). I found a gem. From that verse, when "joy" is looked up in it's original Greek/Hebrew form, it actually translates as "calm delight". I don't know about you but that's way different than the mental image I had. That actually sounds... restful... even safe.
What does that even have to do with the quote? Yes, good question. Well, let's just say at the moment, in my little life, Jesus is teaching me how to walk. I feel stripped down to the vulnerability of a two year old, tottering around and falling back into my Father's arms when my feet get tangled up in each other, and at the same time I feel like an anxious runner being lovingly and patiently asked to slow my pace. He wants me in stride with Him. Right now that means walking... slowly.
The little steps matter, He's showing me. Every single one. "Calm delight" makes me want to take a deep breath, slip my hand into the Lord's, and really take in all there is to see around. There is joy in the journey, so much. Sometimes the pace is fast, yes, and those seasons are beautiful. But sometimes the hundred feet is crossed in small, driven steps, one after another. And in those little, steady steps there's a lot of joy. And when you walk in joy, haha! When you become so caught up in delighting in the Lord, walking alongside Him, you lose track of time and goals. All of a sudden you glance over your shoulder and are amazed to find those hundred feet that at one time seemed so wide and tedious have been crossed in ease and joy, one step at a time.
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