A Season of Joy

There are many seasons of our lives.  I find a joyful season one of the most enjoyable.  That's a no-brainer.  Who doesn't love a delicious summer wedding?  Or a new baby born to a family full of love?  When I think of joy, I think of moments like these.

But, there are also times in our lives when everything is just okay.  Nothing seems askew.  It is easy to see the joy in the big moments.  The hard part, is taking the time to see the joy in the everday events all around us.  I guess we have to realize that the big moments are not the only moments filled with joy.  As I look around at the people I love here in my house and those out of my house yet near and dear to my heart, I realize that the peace and tranquility I feel is definitely a moment of joy.  We are all happy, healthy, and peaceful.  Isn't that a season for joy?

The happiest heart that ever beat

Was in some quiet breast

That found the common daylight sweet,

And left to Heaven the rest.
~John V. Cheney 

With peaks and valleys all around us, we are keeping our eyes trained for the peaks of momentous occasions.  Contentment begins with finding the joy in the simplicity of day to day life..feeling the moments of calm and loving what you have right now.  I can always hope for peace or prosperity in my life, but if I'm longing for something else entirely, I'm missing out on the blessings I have been given right now.  There is a bit of sorrow in that.  There is a bit of remorse for not seeing that the little moments are most definitely the most joyful ones... a kind word from a neighbor, a loving hug from a friend, a look of longing from a spouse, or a moment of quiet with a child. 

This moment we have right now is truly all that matters.  So many have been denied this moment through death, when we have been given this gift.  It isn't as if I relish these moments all of the time.  I am not boastful in saying that I see the joy in the simplicity of life.  I might be the biggest peak-seeker of all.  I love a big moment.  I love to live for what is to come.  However, I am missing what is right here, right now.  Look around...joy is all around us in the simple, easy things. 

Simplicity, clarity, singleness:

these are the attributes that give our lives

power, vividness, and joy.

~Richard Halloway