Happiness or Joy?

Barbara tried to keep her balance as the bus lurched forward.  She had arrived late for work and work that day was very nerve wracking.  When she got on the bus to go home, it was so crowded she had to stand.  That added to her gloominess.  While she was holding on to keep from falling into a complete stranger, she heard a deep male voice boom out, "Beautiful day, isn't?"

She could not see the speaker or the one he was speaking to but he was the only one speaking on the whole bus.  Barbara continued to hear him comment on the spring day and for the first time she realized it really was a pretty day.  The voice commented occasionally on different things they were passing by and each time her attention was drawn outside the bus and outside of herself. The man mentioned a church as they drove by and the good work they were doing in the community.  As they passed by a park, he had positive comments on it.  It happened the same way as they passed a fire station and several other landmarks. 

The speaker seemed to know something positive, something not seen on the surface, about a whole lot of things.  Barbara found herself smiling for the first time that day.  When the bus came to her stop she just had to maneuver herself so she could see her positive bus ride commentator.  He was a plump man with a black beard, wearing dark glasses and carrying a long, thin white cane.

Barbara Johnson's story reminds me that sometimes we have to see the unseen to experience the joy that is possible in life.  If happiness comes or goes according to what happens, joy comes from how we choose to look at things.  Paul calls us to "Rejoice in the Lord always."  That may mean I have to look for what is present but unseen in order to rejoice.  We will look at that passage Sunday and Paul's call to rejoice, always.  I pray we all see things we have not seen before.

for the journey...

Tim