The Divine Gift of Joy
The Daily Word today says it beautifully:
“Joy is one of my divine gifts, a part of me throughout all the seasons of life.”
What a truth to live by. Joy isn’t something we chase or earn, it’s something we remember. It’s a spark already placed within us by the Creator, waiting for our attention like sunlight behind clouds. Even when life feels uncertain or heavy, that divine light never goes out.
When I open my heart to joy, I align with Spirit’s beautiful energy. It replenishes me, like the “flowers perking up after a rain.”
The Angel Named Joy
At Unity Palo Alto, there is a woman whose very presence reminds me that joy is holy. Her name, fittingly, is Joy, and she truly beams with God’s light. Every time I see her, I feel lifted. She radiates the simple, effortless joy of someone who knows Spirit as a living presence, not an abstract idea.
When she smiles, it’s like the universe says, “See? This is what joy looks like.”
Her light reminds me that joy can be quiet, humble, and profoundly contagious. It moves through words, through kindness, through eye contact that says, “I see you, and you matter.”
Finding Joy in Small Moments
The older I get, the more I understand that joy isn’t waiting at the mountaintop, it’s tucked into the ordinary rhythm of daily life. It’s the warmth of a cup of tea, the morning chorus of birds, the sunlight that sneaks through my kitchen window. It’s the laughter that bubbles up when I least expect it, and the comfort of knowing that, whatever else may fade, divine joy remains.
Joy is the thread that keeps me connected to the sacred in every moment. When I stop rushing and simply notice, I find that joy was always there, patient, glowing, eternal.
Joy as Spiritual Practice
Gratitude and joy are dance partners. When I give thanks, I create space for joy to enter. When I live in joy, I find even more to be grateful for.
Each day offers the invitation: What if I chose joy today?
Not because everything is perfect, but because joy itself is perfect, a reflection of the divine Presence within.
As Acts 2:28 says: “You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” I think that’s what Joy (the person) lives out every day, being full of gladness through divine presence. She’s a walking scripture.
A World Touched by Joy
When we live from joy, the whole world feels lighter. Our words soften. Our interactions bless. Our hearts open. Joy ripples outward, from our eyes, from our laughter, from the way we touch the earth.
The Daily Word reminds us that the waters of joy “replenish and restore all they touch.” Imagine what the world would feel like if each of us allowed that replenishment to flow through our days, one grateful smile, one kind word, one radiant beam at a time.
Living in Gladness
Today, I give thanks for the everyday joys that make life rich and real, for the small delights that whisper, “You are loved.”
And I give special thanks for Joy, both the friend who shines it, and the divine gift within each of us that glows quietly, eternally.
May I remember to live as a blessing of joy, like my friend Joy, wherever I go.