"My name is Joy and I have come to stay."
This phrase floated across my mind as I went smilingly through the debris-strewn house in my mismatched pajamas after staying up until 3 am and being "behind schedule," a state that would have thrown my inner sanctum into a frenzy of anger, anxiety and distress in the not-so-distant past.
Joy.
The painful experiences of the past several years have taught me how precious this joy is. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I have dealt with these emotions: anxious, busy, worried, bitter, determined, focused, passionate, depression, fear of 'failure, angry, distraught,...feelings that have become as second nature as breathing. Sure, I have felt moments of peace and joy but this feels different. More sure.
As I thanked my Heavenly Father for it's sweetness one of my favorite children's books came to mind: "The Mountain that loved a Bird."
The following little clip from youtube captures the basic story...only the book extends it over hundreds of years. It is a story that deserves retelling.
A mountain yearns for the sweet and simple song of a bird named Joy, who only stops over once a year for a few hours in her yearly migration. She comes year after year once she senses the mountain's love for her. However, there is nothing for her to live off of on the bare slopes of the mountain.
As the mountain bids farewell to her year after year, the pain of seeing her go increases. Even as the mountain hears the song, it knows that it will be gone all too soon. Finally one day, as the mountain deeply grieves, from deep within the it something cracks! and a fountain of water finds its way to the surface of the mountain. Joy notices this. Year after year, Joy and her descendants (who are also named "Joy") bring one seed at a time and place them where the waters flow from the broken heart of the mountain.
And the mountain begins to blossom and be covered with life. Year after year, the mountain hears, "I can only stay with you a little while but I will be back next year," from Joy and mourns her loss. Finally, as the first seed planted becomes a tree, Joy comes and roosts in its branches and declares, "I am Joy and I have come to stay."
Oh the sweetness of that declaration. I hope that my heart is open enough, broken enough to sustain Joy so that it may stay.
This phrase floated across my mind as I went smilingly through the debris-strewn house in my mismatched pajamas after staying up until 3 am and being "behind schedule," a state that would have thrown my inner sanctum into a frenzy of anger, anxiety and distress in the not-so-distant past.
Joy.
The painful experiences of the past several years have taught me how precious this joy is. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I have dealt with these emotions: anxious, busy, worried, bitter, determined, focused, passionate, depression, fear of 'failure, angry, distraught,...feelings that have become as second nature as breathing. Sure, I have felt moments of peace and joy but this feels different. More sure.
As I thanked my Heavenly Father for it's sweetness one of my favorite children's books came to mind: "The Mountain that loved a Bird."The following little clip from youtube captures the basic story...only the book extends it over hundreds of years. It is a story that deserves retelling.
A mountain yearns for the sweet and simple song of a bird named Joy, who only stops over once a year for a few hours in her yearly migration. She comes year after year once she senses the mountain's love for her. However, there is nothing for her to live off of on the bare slopes of the mountain.
As the mountain bids farewell to her year after year, the pain of seeing her go increases. Even as the mountain hears the song, it knows that it will be gone all too soon. Finally one day, as the mountain deeply grieves, from deep within the it something cracks! and a fountain of water finds its way to the surface of the mountain. Joy notices this. Year after year, Joy and her descendants (who are also named "Joy") bring one seed at a time and place them where the waters flow from the broken heart of the mountain.
And the mountain begins to blossom and be covered with life. Year after year, the mountain hears, "I can only stay with you a little while but I will be back next year," from Joy and mourns her loss. Finally, as the first seed planted becomes a tree, Joy comes and roosts in its branches and declares, "I am Joy and I have come to stay."
Oh the sweetness of that declaration. I hope that my heart is open enough, broken enough to sustain Joy so that it may stay.
I love this Mary. Being in the middle of moving, I keep forgetting the importance of joy in everything. Thanks for the reminder
ReplyDeleteSurely you haven't left her anywhere :)?
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