The Presence of Joy
“Joy is the echo of God’s life in us.” Abbot Coumba Marmion
“Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.”
Robert Schuller
“What I know for sure is that you feel real Joy in direct proportion to how connected you are to living your truth.”
Oprah
I had a “Missy dream” this morning. I was pushing Missy in her chair, running fast, and she was laughing her huge belly laugh. My dreams of Missy are always full of joy and laughter. If you had known her, you would understand why. She could not walk, talk, or take care of herself, but there was never a more joyful human. Missy was my little sister who had cerebral palsy. Most people thought of her as terribly disabled, and she was, but inside that distorted little body, lived a great spirit. She was utterly true to herself, simple and direct; if she didn’t like what you were doing she would pull your hair, and then she would laugh and laugh. In my dreams, she is the symbol of joy.
Robert Ellwood once said, “Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is one with the infinite timeless joy of this unbound universe.” Joy is not a place where we can live all the time, certainly Missy suffered more than her fair share, but when we feel true unbridled joy, we catch a glimpse of something that rises above the struggle, that is untouched by the darkness. We get a little taste of heaven.
Today in Alabama
In the spirit,
Jane
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