Ways to Joy
Blame it on my ADD, necessary things, tending a broken spirit, and good humor for healthy hearts.
Astute deliberate delving
I’m fascinated with the people who can stay focused on one task at a time. Right this very moment I’m looking at a basket of laundry I started to fold not once but three times. Whatever distracted me must’ve been of chief importance. I just smile and shake my head. Maybe I watched Gone with the Wind too many times as a child.
The chapel on base offers a variety of Bible studies for fall and I signed up for one that’s using the S.O.A.P. method: Scripture | Observations | Applications | Prayer. I read through the first chapter of James over the weekend in preparation and promptly got distracted by notes I jotted down from a sermon series last fall.
I couldn’t stop myself.
I had to look up every single reference.
I often channel the kid from The Family Circus cartoon. I’ve learned to embrace it.
My pinball brain can prove really helpful in getting a lot done. Other days, well, they look like me leaving the house to go to the post office, realizing when I get out of the neighborhood I forgot the package I wanted to mail, deciding I’ll go to the local library instead to get a library card, remembering just as I drive off base that I don’t have anything with my updated address, then throwing the whole plan out the window and traveling 30-minutes away to Target. Hypothetically, of course. But I digress. Blame it on my ADD.
Is this necessary?
One of the references I recorded in James took me to 1 Peter.
You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith — more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; thought not seeing Him now, you believe in Him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:4-9, CSB
I snorted when I read “if necessary.” I guess necessary means the challenges we face are not unnecessary, which makes “suffering grief in various trials” a bit less offensive. I have a stack of journals filled with stories of various trials. Though nothing is tied in a shiny bow, being on the other side of those narratives gives me hope for the future. God uses a litany of hard experiences to cultivate trust in Him and the myriad benefits of waiting on the Lord.
Broken and seen
Typically when I feel stressed, the last thing I want is to be on or around people. Even Jesus took a boat out to a secluded place to be alone to grieve. I get that deeply; I’m so glad God put Jesus’ humanity in the Bible. I’m also thankful Jesus didn’t stay away too long because people need His presence.
“When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns. When He went ashore He saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:13b-14). I don’t know if the people sought Him out because they heard about John the Baptist’s death or because they wanted Jesus to perform more miracles, but Jesus met them with tenderness nonetheless.
He is still the same God today. He knows our weakness and yet He has compassion for us. Rather than be repelled by feeble-minded people (or, as my mom and I like to say, feebs), He comes close and makes Himself at home in the middle of the mess. And He models how to slow down, take our time, and show up when it comes to mending a broken spirit.
The practice of silence and solitude is a good tool for healing a distressed spirit. In Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison, he writes to a friend about how accustomed he’s become to the silence of solitude and asks his friend if he’s been able to get over his homesickness during long travels.
I should imagine that that is more difficult in your position than mine, for it cannot be done merely through diversion and distraction. You need to get right down to fundamentals to come to terms with life, and for that you need plenty of time to yourself.
I don’t disagree. I also don’t know anyone with plenty of time to themselves. Lack of solitude can lead to desperation. — Indeed, too much time alone is literally considered punishment, but is solitary confinement is a different conversation. — What if time alone isn’t readily available? Maybe you always carpool to work or you have a full house. What if you can’t afford to get away or there’s no white space on your calendar?
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
Bones start drying up.
In the early years of motherhood, I would sit on my dryer in the laundry closet with my fingers shoved deep in my ears because it was the only place to get a moment of silence. I’ve driven from point A to point B with no memory of how I got there. I’ve wanted to keep driving and not go back home.
Time by myself remains a cherished commodity — and I genuinely believe Jesus modeled that behavior for us because it has deep value — but solitude isn’t the ticket to joy. Peace? Highly likely. Yet Proverbs doesn’t prescribe solitude as the medicine to ward off a dry spirit. Which begs the question, how does one acquire a joyful heart?
Good cheer
When is the last time you laughed till tears streamed down your face? I invite you to pause and take a moment here.
Where were you?
Who were you with?
What or who made you laugh?
Try to remember how it felt and hold it for a minute. Reminiscing on those times brings an instant smile to my face and warmth to my soul. There are loads of physiological advantages to laughter. Immediate benefits include stress relief, decreased pain, muscle relaxation, and an increase in oxygen. Over time, consistent doses of laughter boost the immune system and overall mood.1
Laughter truly is the best medicine. The uncontrollable kind is like an adrenaline shot to the heart! My most recent belly laugh happened last week. A notification from the Marco Polo app showed a summary transcription of a message waiting for me. I’d shown a friend my Purple Heart plant and she was responding to show me hers.
I laughed out loud when I read the summary, but the video message was even better. Giggling, she said they will forever be known as the “purple fart plants.” I watched the recording twice and cried from laughing so hard. Apparently I’m 4-years-old. Thanks for the stress relief, Marco Polo.
As much as I want to end this segment with a 3-step plan for how to laugh more, I just don’t know yet. But I’m open to ideas. If you haven’t watched anything featuring Nate Bargatze, do it. My first encounter was The Tennessee Kid on Netflix. There were tears, and Sean may have laughed so hard he fell off the couch.
Do you have a suggestion? Please share in the comments. Maybe we can help each other make life a little brighter. ♡
Extras
For the fun stuff…
The tunes
A mixture of current and classic songs to bring a smile and maybe a little boogie.
The read
Sorry folks. Nothing new to see here. Daytime reading isn’t much of a thing for me until the cooler months. I’m trying to finish the novel I started in July but I keep falling asleep! It’s truly by no fault of its own. We’ll circle back.
The menu
I did a Whole30 with a lady from my church in 2017. When I ran out of ideas and couldn’t look at another egg, my pastor’s wife shared this Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri from Skinnytaste. DELISH. I eyeball the spices for the steak and it turns out great every time. Red onion can overpower the other flavors in the sauce IMO, so I substitute shallots. I’ve always used 1/2 parsley and 1/2 cilantro, but I only had parsley on hand this week so it was a “true” chimichurri. Both are yummy! Serve over jasmine rice.
The moment
We had a few cooler evenings and took full advantage of the back deck. The cicadas were crazy loud one moment and silent the next, but Sean and I still got in some good conversation.
Be well, friends.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456.
🤎 can’t wait to laugh with you soon
Love laughing with you 💕