Isaiah 12:6 NLT
'Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.'
I can’t think of many recent occasions when I have shouted, either from joy or anger. We used to live in the shadow of Fratton Park, home to Portsmouth Football Club. No need to wonder what the score was. The roar of the crowd on seeing their side put the ball in the back of the net was an overwhelming shout of joy. You could also tell on the faces of the crowd as they left at the end of the game if the result had gone Pompey’s way.
Finding joy in life proves elusive for many. The standard answer to questions about our well-being is: “I’m fine.” A friend of mine suggested this stands for: “Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.”
We can look at others and assume that their smile is more genuine than our own and they have found the elixir of happiness. Yet, on closer examination, most people are struggling.
Psychologists have shown that we each have different joy levels, just as we have different intelligence levels. So, I can’t find joy by copying what someone else does. Nor can they mimic me and find the joy I mine from life. I need to find joy where I can and have the confidence to live in that space regardless of what I see others doing, or in the face of their disbelief or criticism.
It has taken me a long time to distinguish what truly gives me joy from among the many sounds that create my headnoise. These are things that God has planted within me and with which I connect with God, who is the source for all my true happiness and joy. For me, my exploring contemplative life, gardening, walking in natural surroundings, reading and running a home all make me happy. They won’t make me financially rich, but they do give me peace of mind and much joy.
QUESTION: What is your level of joy like?
PRAYER: As the psalmist wrote, may I follow you, my Lord and Shepherd in whom I have all I need; let me rest in green pastures; lead me beside still and peaceful waters.

Released on 4 Mar 2020