I’ve been looking for it all year, but I seem lately to be findingjoy in the unexpected by thinking outside the box. When I first started to write for Joy Let Loose, I think I tethered it to something I believed it ought to be. I’m a believer in Jesus, and I believe our joy is found in God. And I wanted everything I wrote to be a proof text of that.
God = Joy, so I thought that Joy Let Loose must be very specifically tied to Scriptural truth in the form of passages, devotions, prayers etc. I have loved every piece I have written here for you over the last year, and all of these things are GOOD.
Finding Joy in the Unexpected
But God has been nudging at me to open my peripheral vision a bit. I think He’s inviting me to pull my head out of the pages just a little, and to get outside of my mind a bit. I think He is asking me to unwrap the gift of joy that He shares through the tangible world around me, in people, laughter, health, and beauty.
And I’m wrestling with this. In fact, I’ve resisted publishing anything on Joy Let Loose for several weeks because I’m finding joy in the unexpected, and I don’t know how to tell you about it.
Please Pray?
So, dear readers, would you please pray? I want to respond well to the Lord, and continue finding joy in the unexpected by looking outside the box. I might be writing about some different kinds of things in the future. But it will be amidst the same kinds of pieces I’ve been writing all along. And this may seem bigger to me than it will for you, but I still would love your prayers moving forward.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, where many people are speaking up #MeToo. Some people “go purple” to bring awareness to the horrific silence inside of which many women, men and children suffer, where memories are dark and homes unsafe. One in three women, and one in four men have been the victims of some form of violence by someone close to them during their lifetime. Numerous among them were small children when the abuse began, and they remained in abusive situations for years.
This shocking reality is the sad cause of the #MeToo campaign we have seen on our social media feeds recently. My heart breaks for each person who bravely shares this hashtag, knowing thousands still remain silenced and scarred from abuse, at no fault of their own.
Our Father made us for relationship with Him and with one another. We were created to share our lives openly, to vulnerably know and trust one another. We are supposed to learn God’s love for us inside relationships. But for many who say #MeToo, trust has been stolen, and the possibility of vulnerable relationships has been robbed.
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus gives lifeto the full. (John 10:10)
#MeToo
My heart breaks for those whose social media sites bravely declare #MeToo, and yet they have not yet found true healing. Some of these are my friends, and yours.
Maybe one of them is you.
#HealedToo
Jesus Christ is the only one who offers true healing and abundant life. He is the Light of the World, and those who follow Him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of LIFE. (John 8:12). He has come to set people free who are slaves to sin, or enslaved by the effects of sin. And those who Jesus sets free are free indeed. (John 8:36).
#JoySighting
For today’s #JoySighting I want to introduce you to my friend, Christina. Largely through the help of Prevail Inc., she has found the LIFE that exists on the other side of domestic violence. And in that life, she has found true joy. Christina displays true gratitude for What God has done in her. Her life overflows, and she lets her joy loose by sharing the realities of her story.When I first heard it, I wanted to help spread it. Because stories are powerful weapons against the darkness.
We overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11).
Even though Christina can say #MeToo, she can also declare that she has been healed, and she is alive in the abundant life of Christ. And in her story-telling, she is overcoming. She is saying #HealedToo.
What if everyone who says #MeToo could also say #HealedToo?
Do you know someone who needs to hear Christina’s story? Let’s see how far we can spread it! Please let her joy loose by sharing on your social media outlets.
It has been about ten months since we made the trek from the Canadian East Coast to the Midwest. And it was right about then that we “settled” into a new neighborhood. Being here has taught me some things about being a good neighbor. But the time has come to uproot again. It is time for moving neighborhoods. Thankfully, this time, our move is only 3 miles down the road.
Over the last 5 days since we closed on our new home, I have made that trek dozens of times, each time aware that we are picking up and planting again. We are replacing “temporary” with “permanent”. Or, at least the kind of permanent that is possible in ministry–this will be our twelfth home in twenty years. We are so looking forward to settling in our own place.
Moving Neighborhoods
There is disarray right now in both homes. Boxes and paper everywhere! But as I drive under the canopy of trees that has become my favorite route to our new place, I’m reminded we are covered by the love of the Lord. The stresses that can accompany the packing and unpacking, the loading and unloading, quickly dissipate. As I pass the community pool, I’m aware there are so many families here we don’t know. As I see my current neighbors in their yards, I’m reminded of their warm welcome and the community they have with each other, and this inspires me to build community in my new neighborhood.
And, it doesn’t go without saying that, each time I pull into our new driveway, I’m profoundly aware of the provisions of our good Father.
We had to fly over crystal seas, navigate the bustle of a foreign airport, and do the slow, bumpy climb to 5200 feet above sea level to discover the beauty of making a joyful livelihood. It was, and it is, no small potatoes. A joyful livelihood is a currency that transcends language barriers and economic differences, yet is something I struggle to see in my North American affluence.
And I found it last week, high in the mountains of Haiti.
What’s My Livelihood?
In many ways for us, this year has been a lean one. We’ve been lean on income since I was unable to work. We are lean on friends since we are so new to the area. And we’ve been lean on activity since our energy has been spent on healing and regrowing. My livelihood no longer took the form of a pay-check, but of simple emotional sustenance to try to spread among our ranks.
Now that is shifting, as I am stepping in to a new position. But first, my husband and I were invited to come away to the remote mountains that tower over Port Au Prince. We were asked to bring emotional sustenance to full- and part-time missionaries by leading them in worship in their heart language. I didn’t realize how refreshing that would be to them.
Our modest sanctuary housed silence and song, prayer and laughter as we worshipped together. But it was actually along the roadway that I learned about making a joyful livelihood.
Making a Joyful Livelihood
We almost missed seeing her cinderblock house, because it was disguised by the green foliage reaching towards the hot sky. But we heard her warm voice as we picked our way along the rocky road. Her Creole words bid us to come in for a visit. There was no pretence; no scurrying to tidy up or to hide the fact that life is messy. Instead it was all welcome, just as we are.
Our guides spoke well with her in her native tongue. All the while, her daughter scrubbed clothes in a wash basin, and her grand-daughter smiled with curious eyes. This wash would be added to the clothes drying in the sun on fences and roofs.
The conversation was light as she asked whether we had brought them any gifts. We had not, they told her, because we were simply out for a walk. Our guide teasingly asked if she had any gifts for us, and her response made us melt.
She said that she, indeed, wanted to give us a gift.
The Gift
My soul was a jumble of gratitude and disbelief as I watched her peel the corrugated metal sheet away from the small cinderblock shed. She disappeared inside with a giant step up, and we heard her rustling around inside. The wash continued to be washed and the curious eyes continued to twinkle life as we wondered what would happen next.
Out she came, a giant step down and laden with a heavy sack. Brown eyes beamed. Inside the bag, 20 pounds of beautiful potatoes: her livelihood. She gave joy currency in that moment, and welcomed us into it. This gift was a gift of self and sustenance. Her hands had tilled the earth to bring these potatoes to life; her back had born the weight of the harvest. Yet her storehouse was open to us.
In a moment of welcome and grace, we were invited into her joyful livelihood.
It was more important to our new friend to give than to receive. It was more honorable to share what little she had than to hold on to it for her own hungry belly. There was pure joy in feeding the stranger in her midst, of letting joy loose with no thought of with-holding it from the wealthy.
These were no small potatoes.
Our Joyful Livelihood
God smiled on us last Friday afternoon along the rocky roads in the Haitian mountains. There was no guilt in receiving the gift, only joy. The transaction was grace as He reminded us of His provision.
As I move from being home back into the workforce, what will my livelihood be? Will I keep it in my storehouse, or will I deal in transactions of grace? I may never see our new friend again, and yet her potatoes have impacted me profoundly. Because what was hers was ours, no pretence or with-holding.
Today’s a great day for a joy blend. It’s a little cool and dreary outside. The Friday tornado siren practice is back in full swing for the season. If those things want to scream out this morning with their warning rehearsal, I think maybe joy should outdo it. What do you say?
Friday Fun
Today I’m introducing to you Friday Fun. The topic of joy, and pursuing a joyful life can (at times) be daunting and large. There are just so many things in our world that try to drown out our joy. So, diligently chasing after the joy we were designed for is a big deal. And I’m okay with that. (Hence, articles like this and this!) But much of our joy can be found in the little things too. The little things we sometimes overlook. The small moments we sometimes are too rushed to perceive.
Enter Friday Fun!What if, each Friday at Joy Let Loose, we simply slowed down to look at one little thing that can bring joy to us during the coming weekend? After all, joy is found and expressed in laughter and little moments. So, on Fridays, be watching for ideas for activities or recipes, conversation starters or gifts, home ideas, getaways or games.
Joy Blend
Over the last several months, I’ve been learning much more about essential oils. I launched into a new world when I got a diffuser for my birthday last year, and then started to do my research. I fell in love with Young Living Essential Oils because of their Seed to Seal guarantee. Because I can count on the quality of their oils to exceed industry standards, and because I have begun to notice significant improvement in my own overall wellness, I’ve joined an awesome team. What a joy to discover a group of people who are also pursuing joy and wellness, and whose heart it is to encourage people along the way. If you’d also like to join this team with me, click here to start your journey with us! As soon as you are enrolled with your starter kit of oils, we will link arms, and walk this road together!
But on this dreary Friday morning, I discovered an awesome new joy blend that I think is one of my new favorites. In each of my diffusers, I used 6 drops of grapefruit, 4 drops of Citrus Fresh, and 3 drops of peppermint.
YL GRAPEFRUIT Essential Oil is widely popular for its many benefits, including helping with digestion and hunger. As an aromatic, it is reduces anxiousness, improves focus, and has a positive impact on mood.
YL CITRUS FRESH essential oil is often used to help aromatically with mood, and to freshen up the atmosphere.
YL PEPPERMINT, as an aromatic, increases energy, and helps improve focus.
Definitely worth trying out this Fun Friday!
Joy Blend on the Go!!
We are house-hunting these days. Now, I love house-hunting, but when you look at dozens and dozens in the span of a few days, sometimes you start going a little squirrelly. And I decided yesterday that I need some joy on the go. So I picked up something like this! It’s an itty-bitty essential oil diffuser for my car. I’m taking joy on the road with me now as I house shop ’til I drop. The verdict is still out on its effectiveness. But on its trial run last night, I’d say it was helping!
Thanks for joining me forFriday Fun! It really is the little things, and Fridays are for staying simple and light. My new joy blend is wafting through my house as I write, and I hear the levity in my homeschool teens’ moods even now. So I think it’s working. 🙂
