By Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D
Joy. It’s not a fleeting feeling. It’s not something superficial, a moment of euphoria. There’s something more substantial to it, something grounded about it. The words “substantial” and “grounded” put weight to the word. And when you think of weighting something down, you get the impression of it sinking under the load, of heaviness. There’s something about the word joy that feels “weighted” to me.
Experiences of this kind of “weighted” joy include a mother holding her child after the struggle of giving birth, a passing grade after much blood, sweat and tears for a student who has a learning disability, a tough conversation that leads to a deeper friendship, persevering and completing a project that you almost gave up on a few times, going out of your way to do a kind deed for someone without seeking any recognition.
It’s not to say that all experiences and moments of joy need to feel or be “weighted”. I can think of many instances with my sisters in Carmel when it is simply “pure joy”: spending an afternoon together working on crafts, enjoying each other’s presence; spontaneously putting on skits for each other or lip-syncing songs in a last minute “talent show” solely for the fun of it and to bring joy to the other sisters; having a nice long conversation with a friend; making a special meal and experiencing how much it’s appreciated; hearing words of affirmation and encouragement, words of gratitude from others for the impact you make in their lives. And vice versa, doing it for others. All pure joy!
Our God is so amazing! He does ALL things well. For those who are old enough to know this, think of the video game Tetris. The whole point of Tetris (as I remember it) is to stack different shapes of blocks on top of each other, to fit it together and by doing so you get points. This is not the best analogy as there is a pressure to Tetris and the blocks start to come in faster and faster. Skip that part. The part that comes to mind is what actually happens in the game. A shaped block drops down, you adjust it and then match it to fit the other shaped blocks that have already landed. This is my poor way of saying that’s how God uses all our experiences. In Tetris, as you match the blocks, the blocks disappear. In real life, the blocks you match end up creating connection and build a foundation.
Our experiences of “weighted joy” and “pure joy” are the building blocks the good Lord provides that help connect the pieces of our life’s experiences and make it “fit together” to provide a solid foundation. It makes life rich with meaning. It provides the reserves to draw upon during times of struggle. It opens our hearts to continue welcoming the Lord’s hand at work in our lives. It helps us enter fully into the present moment. And it’s not for ourselves. All of these experiences become embedded in your very soul and reflect outward. It starts to shine out of you. Whether it is a quiet radiance, or a vibrant light, it’s there. God then uses you to reflect the joys within the deep wellsprings of your soul to draw others closer to Him. As I said…our God is amazing!
