Sunday, December 16 - Joy

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
~ Zephaniah 3:1

​When I was young I used to long for a life of pure joy – day after day with a lightness of heart and a smile on my face. Over the years I lowered my sights a bit, wishing for weeks, then days of pure joy. And now, in the wake of the death of my brother, I’m happy with a moment or two.
 
Our time under these amazing trees – the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland – was joyful, but getting to them was less of a delight. We rode through the rain and took several wrong turns on our way to see them. And then we almost missed the spectacle because we stopped for lunch under some much-less-impressive trees a couple miles away, thinking they were the dark hedges. Our time under the hedges was made more joyful by the effort.
 
Pure joy seems to come only in moments. Perhaps that is what makes it so precious.

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#NextGen
ACT: How can you bring joy to someone today? Do something kind and loving for someone who might not expect it today.