This morning I was trying desperately to listen to the Christmas music on the radio.
Unfortunately, three little boys were playing with beyblades and making tons of noise in the backseat. “Come on, boys, just let mama have her joy!” I cried dramatically at the height of the beyblade battle.
Suddenly they paused. “What’s joy?” one twin asked and they kept a little quiet waiting for the answer.
“It’s like happiness.” I thought for a second and then decided to ask each boy in turn: “What brings you joy and happiness?”
Twin 1 said: “Beyblades!”
Twin 2 said: “Not getting wet in the rain!”
Older brother said: “If Whooley would never die.” (This was our dog that died at the start of the school year)
In the moment, their answers were simple yet oddly profound. Joy comes through toys that bring hours of loud excited play with your brothers. Joy comes through the comfort of being in dry clothes and safe from the frustrations that come with being caught in the rain.
And joy comes with eternal life. Life in heaven with the Lord and our loved ones where no pain or death or sickness remains.
After his brothers responded, twin 1 wanted to change his answer. “I would be joyful and happy if every time we wanted to buy a toy and asked how much it was the store said FREE!” Well that’d make me joyful right now too, kiddo.
My prayer this morning is that we can see the bigger meaning in the simple joys we experience today. Let it remind us that life is a beautiful, complex mystery just waiting to be explored.
