Rejoice!

"Rejoice evermore.  Rejoice evermore.  Oh, I wish that it was always in my heart and in my tongue."  (John Adams as portrayed in HBO mini-series)

A few years ago, I was in a discussion about when in our lives we felt joy.  I was struggling to come up with something or someone or sometime that had brought me joy.  Not just something that made me happy, not just something I thought was pleasant or pretty, but something that made me feel like rejoicing.  Well, I drew a blank on experiencing joy in my own life.  Instead, I shared the best image of joy I could come up with: the picture of Snoopy as he whirls around dancing, looking absolutely ecstatic.

Since then, I've thought a lot about joy, but I still wasn't seeing or feeling what I perceived as joy in my life.  Then, this year, as I watched the HBO miniseries on John Adams, I was struck by his phrase, "Rejoice evermore."  He had been through many triumphs and many tragedies in his life, and he was now rejoicing as he walked a humble path on his farm.

I'm starting to believe that a particular event or place or person is not necessarily the source of joy in my life.  My awareness of the sky and the earth, the sounds and the silence, the ever-changing patterns of nature - perhaps these are experiences of joy.  The tiniest flower or the smallest gesture or the briefest word may be an opportunity to rejoice.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you . . ."  (St. Paul in I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Moments of joy might show up more frequently in my life if I release my preconceptions about what joy is "supposed" to look like.  I don't have to wait for the big event, the significant achievement, or the perfect partner to experience joy.  It must be around somewhere, everywhere, if St. Paul says "Rejoice always," and John Adams says "Rejoice evermore."