Week Three of the Advent Season:  JOY

In the depths of my hurting and troubled heart, I cling to the message of the angel’s rejoicing:  “I bring you tidings of great JOY that will be for all people…”  Yet, what if JOY, in all its revelry, is in short supply?  How do we find the JOY?

Keeping JOY is good, but sharing it with others is even better.  It may be as simple as greeting someone, sharing a smile across the crowded room, handing your drink coupon to a fellow plane passenger, or creating a full-blown “pay it forward” opportunity.  Make no mistake; the message of Christmas is never-ending, yet it does not deny sorrow, hurt, and sadness its place in this world.  Instead, Christmas powerfully illustrates how JOY is greater than despair or sadness, PEACE outlasts the turmoil and trauma, HOPE prevails in the darkest places, and LOVE will ultimately crush hate and evil.

Norman Vincent Peale issued the challenge:  “I truly believe if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can and will bring JOY and happiness and peace to this world…”  So, your Christmas Question for today:

How DO we keep telling the story, singing the songs, and living the spirit of Christmas JOY every day of our lives?

There’s truly a tumult of JOY and an overflowing of blessings as we light the third candle in Advent anticipation today.  A JOY shared is a JOY doubled, so let us accept the JOY with thanks and giving in our hearts.  May we always remain grateful for the JOY we spread and the JOY coming our way.  JOY, in all its glory, is really the simplest form of gratitude in daily living. #SpreadJOY