It's Brave to Seek Joy

& A Prayer for Courage

On this Third Sunday of Advent, our attention turns to joy.

There have been times when joy was elusive. Gone long enough, it seems practical to give up waiting for its return and move on. Rationalizing away joy’s absence, I could focus on the hard work of making the world a better place.

But joy will not be ignored.

At some point, I noticed glimpses of joy in my peripheral vision. Like a shy rabbit, joy could not be viewed directly. Yet, I found that if I was still, joy would linger longer. It wasn’t something I could plan my way into, yet I could easily miss it if I was not attentive.

Joy is only found in the present moment.

This lingering in the moment required a leap of faith. I needed courage to get over my “gotta-it-done” self.

If any of this sounds even the least bit familiar, here is a prayer for you.

A Prayer for the Courage to Wait for Joy

Lord, thank you for this season of waiting and anticipation.

Life moves fast. I’m not always present to the presence of the moment in which I live.

There is so much that is not as I would like it to be. So many people suffer for lack of love. Many are poor in spiritual well-being. I feel like there is much to be done and little time left in which to do it all. So much is up to me.

And I am tired. I have not seen joy in so very long.

Animosity, anger, and aggression abound. It turns my stomach in knots.

And still, I know that You are here. Amid the chaos and craziness, You are here.

I need not bankrupt myself searching for gurus, You are my guide.

Source of all goodness, fill me with the courage to sit still long enough to experience joy in the smallest of circumstances.

Amen.