Yet JOY can catch us by surprise on a daily basis, if we take the time to notice.  A toddler’s smile directed toward us in the grocery aisle, a wave from a stranger or a forgotten friend, a welcome-home whimper from a beloved pet, a butterfly on the windshield, a flower in full bloom.  Generally, JOY comes out of a sense of belonging to someone other than ourselves; a connection, like an electrical charge, that reminds us that we each are not alone.  An awareness that despite our general insignificance in the grand scheme of things, we matter to someone–and to Someone.  A celebration of sorts that wells up in our hearts in the middle of creativity and love, whether we give or receive or simply witness the exchange.  Joy comes in a memory or a dream for the future.  It utilizes the senses to trigger a positive exchange of neurons in the brain.  It brings life in the darkest of places, hope in despair, goodness in a world of evil, belief in a history of failure, love in a heart filled with loneliness, and grace in the worst of trials.

But JOY doesn’t have to be intangible or fleeting.  It can be built in our hearts, or families, our communities.  We can increase our capacity for joy, if we choose, by being purposefully relational, purposefully creative, purposefully alive–if even for a few moments each day.

David said “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 51:12)  Apparently, he had lost the joy he once knew.  But the interesting thing is that he expected Someone to restore it as if there was an abundance to share.  What if we tapped into that abundance on a daily basis?  Would our lives change for the better?