Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash
It’s funny, but joy is often seen as impractical. Having fun simply for fun’s sake? Not in this busy world! Laughing out loud? Sure, it’s enjoyable, but what good is it? How about watching a movie or entertaining ourselves with a game of some kind? Pleasurable? Of course, but useful? Well, actually, yes. Joy is the gift that lightens our hearts and speaks to the goodness of life. Joy is not a baby’s silly laughter but that we are in the presence of a young bearer of God’s image who is happy simply being. Joy is sharing our blessings not because we feel guilty, but because it’s how some of us show love. Joy is God’s “Transfer Of Power” from darkness to light, from despair to hope, from violence to peace, from longing to love. Useless? Nope. There’s something eternally useful about God’s gift of “Practical Joy”.