It was a late evening after a long day and I was hungry. After a venison burger on a huge bed of lettuce, I was ready to settle in and catch up on a few emails and blog posts before calling it a night.
It had been a productive day including a short shopping excursion that afternoon to help a friend. (Yes, I served as sisterly fashion consultant, don’t be too shocked!)
After opening my email, I was delighted—overjoyed really—to see an email from a contact inviting me to speak at an event in Cuba and share some of the IRSM resources there. Wow! What a blessing. What an honor. And what a joy that I didn’t want to keep to myself!
I immediately texted the friend I had been shopping with earlier in the day, first asking her if she wore her new pink sweater to church that night. “Yes!” She expressed her joy and the delight of her family who rejoiced with her in the new purchase.
Rejoicing with her, I proceeded to share the good news of the invitation to speak in Cuba. My friend reacted with the joy I knew she would share for me and for this opportunity.
The huge smiles were evident in our texts, but then her tone changed. She began to compare the sources of our joy that evening. My response, “I still rejoice with you. Sometimes joy can just be joy.”
The joy of her new pink sweater to keep her warm.
The joy of my invitation to a conference in Cuba.
Joy is not about comparison.
Sometimes joy can just be joy.
Do you agree? Or what is your example of when “joy can just be joy”?