Standing on the Edge of Joy

My Words of Intention for the week:

Joy

Wholehearted

Open

For a few weeks now, my mind has been hovering over a single thought - that I am standing on the edge of joy. 

Fragile and vulnerable, like the birds on my feeder in this tentative spring, ready to take flight at the first sudden movement or noise unfamiliar.

Then last night I found myself standing on the sidelines of joy, so close I could reach out and touch it.  The occasion was a small, simple wedding. I had been unusually tired in the afternoon and struggled to find something to wear. Nothing fit and although the end of April, it was cold outside. I imagined myself in a reception hall, shivering and longing for home.

From the moment we stepped inside, although chilly, the warmth of twinkling lights and genuine smiles wrapped its arms about me and drew me in.

The ceremony itself was brief and then an interlude for photos ensued. The bride and groom took center stage for their dance before the food was served. I stepped closer to joy. This was no ordinary dance. The music swirled about them as they began their intentional ballroom waltz, faltering steps at first, then moving into the magic of their moment. All stiffness fell away as they gazed with unfiltered joy into each other's faces. Closing with a swirl and a twirl, the groom then pulled his bride close to him, enfolded in his arms as they both faced the crowd for the finish. It was priceless.

When Hubby got a phone call an hour later to come in and fix a trailer tire, I reluctantly dragged myself from watching the ripples of joy continue to spread from guest to guest on the dance floor.

What made this wedding so special?

Was it the groom who waited for the perfect girl, the sweetness in her every step, the simplicity with which it had all been planned? Or that he day before, this very family gathered for the funeral of a beloved grandfather, most unexpected.
And now they celebrated unashamedly.

Beth Moore says that Joy and Anguish are tied together, moving through our lives hand in hand. I watched this played out in this family before me. Joy was winning.

So I begin my Word List for the week with Joy. Daily circumstances, reports, emotions, worries, sufferings within and without battle to pull me away. There is always a war.

I sat at my table thinking of 2014 being the year of divine reversals. Could it happen this quickly? Back to back. Can God step in and turn anguish into joy overnight?

I don't have the answers but this I know for sure:

I want joy to win.