I discovered this morning that somewhere along the way I had put joy on the back burner of my life. Do you know what I mean? It was during my quiet time that I realized joy was missing from my daily routine. Have you wondered why you have been feeling overwhelmed by the vicissitudes of daily living? Have you been in the storm too long not knowing how or when your storm will be over? I encourage you to read the words of the French poet Apollinaire written here:
“Come to the edge” he said. “We can’t, were afraid” they responded. “Come to the edge” he said. “We can’t ,we will fall” they responded. “Come to the edge” he said. And so they came. And he pushed them. And they flew.
I suspect our spirits are so frayed these days it is difficult to believe Apollinaire’s words fit our situation. We are so over whelmed by life’s vicissitudes that we don’t have confidence our joy can ever be restored. May I remind you of what Scripture says about our condition: weeping may endure for the might but joy cometh in the morning. I want to encourage you to stop whatever you are doing for a few moments and allow the poet’s words to penetrate your heart and mind. Put yourself in the group Apollinaire is calling. He’s calling you to the edge. Are you willing to step closer to the edge? If not why not? Do you wish for restoration of a bit of joy in your life and if you truly do, I invite you to come to the edge with me. Go deep within yourself. In the quiet moment you have just entered see yourself standing in need of some joy. Now come closer to the edge you have envisioned with your mind. Are you ready to be pushed? Who will be pushing you? Are you afraid you will fall into the abyss of darkness? Will you come fly with me?
Now allow yourself be pushed over your imaginary edge. It is up to you whether you will fly or fall. I know I can fly because I just did while writing this entry. My joy was restored because I would not give my consent to fear. I listened to music on a device given to me as a gift by the choir of First Presbyterian Church. Whatever was weighing heavily on my mind and making me fearful got lost. I stepped away from fear and inserted in its place the joy of being alive and being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who having come to the edge were pushed but now they are flying. I remembered how beautiful I felt as the music engulfed me with its many melodies. I could feel my anxieties and petty thoughts slowly peeling away. Joy, joy, joy started lifting me higher and higher. I could hear my Grandmother sitting in her rocking chair on her wraparound porch singing her favorite songs at the end of each day. She always sat in her rocking chair on her porch at the end of each day. It would be many years later that I realized this routine was her way of restoring joy to her life at the end of each day God had given her life.
One more thing! You will have to be willing to practice what I have just described if you want to free yourself from the fears and anxieties that haunt us and try to invade our space. I am flying now and I am stronger now as the joy keeps lifting me higher and higher. It is flying time for Dr. Paul. It is flying time for you. So, fly, fly, fly. The God of your life and mine is flying with you. Joy awaits you. And so it is.