Wonderfilled: Saturated with Joy

Even in the wake of great sorrow, the world is saturated with cause for joy, if we can only open ourselves fully. p. 12 in the P.S. in The Sad Truth About Happiness by Anne Giardini

This has been sitting in my list of quotes for quite some time. And today seems the time that it's been waiting for. In the last week, a family in my church community experienced great sorrow. That great sorrow extended well into the church community, and beyond, encompassing several different communities. A family had to bury their 15 year old son, brother, grandson, cousin, and nephew. It was hard. BUT there were still signs of joy. His older sister drew an amazing picture of her brother walking hand in hand with Jesus, heading to heaven with a body that was healed. His parents were visible pictures of strength for each other as they shared stories about him at the memorial service. Symbols of hope were passed out after the service. Tulip bulbs. Things that look dead, dry, and wrinkled; but which offer the promise of life and colour in the spring. A very moving thought.

Then last night I went to an evening to raise money to educate women in Somalia. The speaker was Amanda Lindhout. She spoke movingly about her experiences in captivity. One particularly inspiring part of her speech was about when her attitude changed. God gave her a sense of peace and, despite the horrific circumstances, she began to deliberately take the time to notice the signs of humanity in her captors. She looked for signs of joy. She opened herself to that possibility.

These are reminders of just how much God blessed us. And of just how much we (I) need to open our (my) eyes to see the signs of joy He has given to us.

Here are some more of the signs of joy I have been able to see.

513) a day spent with 2 of my aunts

514) fall colours in the mountains on a sunny day

515) the myriad number of shades of green in the mountains

516) sunlight sparkling on cascading water

517) the invigorating and cleansing aroma of the pine forests

518) the pop of lids on homemade salsa

519) the camaraderie of making salsa together

520) homemade salsa

521) the fresh feeling of a haircut

522) golden hay bales scattered over a golden field

523) the colours of the North Saskatchewan River valley

524) shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, creating stairways to heaven

525) sunlight glistening on a pond

526) look of surprise and joy on a mother's face when her daughter comes home to surprise her

527) seeing my grandmother

528) family time

529) celebrating the 50th birthdays of 3 family members

530) teamwork to create brunch

531) sentinel hawk on a dead tree at the side of the highway

532) fences clinging to the undulating hills, adding a lace-like finish

533) picking sweet peas on Oct. 2nd!

534) autumn glory in the Bow River valley

535) arriving home after a weekend away

536) safe travels on a busy highway

537) deep orange pumpkins

538) hugs from children

539) laughter

540) picking vine-ripened tomatoes in my own backyard

541) the smell of a vine-ripened tomato

542) the taste of a vine-ripened tomato (especially right after it's picked)

543) clean laundry

544) cards and drawings from students

545) borrowing a book from a student

546) sipping hot peppermint tea while rain patters on the roof

547) snow-capped mountains tinged pink in the early morning and flanked by a carpet of autumn gold and green

548) the musty damp smell of the woods in the fall

549) a long stroll in one of my favourite places

550) playing with my camera, finding glimpses of God in the fall beauty

551) having my parents stay overnight

552) a carpet of golden leaves on the grass

553) loving greeting from children as I enter church

554) loving, encouraging words from an aunt

555) breakfast lovingly prepared by family and enjoyed with family

556) delightful Indonesian meal prepared by an uncle and his wife, and enjoyed with family

557) a niece who really wanted me to meet her boyfriend - knowing that I am important to her

558) the delight shown by the recipient of a gift

559) a walk in one of my favourite spots

560) walking hand in hand with a young girl and bursting into the same song at the same time

561) giggling with her after that happened

562) the prayers of children

563) watching a family support loved ones in a time of loss

564) watching the sky change as the sun rises - pink clouds, bright orangish horizon - promises of the day to come

565) watching a harvest moon rise - full and orangish

566) the beautiful and powerful tribute parents gave to their special son the day they buried his body

567) the visible love for each other and for Connor as they shared the tribute

568) the symbolism of orange tulip bulbs to remember that special son - something that looks dead, but has the promise of life, just like Connor and his new life with Jesus

569) a sea of orange as a community honoured Connor

570) times when children, on their own accord, offer to help each other

571) completing a job that had loomed over me

572) encouraging words of appreciation from a former student, one I hadn't seen in years

573) words of encouragement and support from parents of students

574) the promise of a weekend with time to refresh and renew

575) walking through crunchy fall leaves

576) the delight of children as they jump into piles of leaves

577) countless hugs in the hallway at school

578) time to plan with my colleague

579) administrators who demonstrate care, compassion, and creativity - giving of themselves

580) the mountain silhouette behind hills ablaze with the gold of autumn, bring a smile and a lift as a very tired me drove away from work after a tiring (but good) week

581) time with a good friend, doing the things we love, but more importantly, just being

582) spontaneity

583) playing with fabric and finding a combination that is both fun and attractive