For over two years I walked by a simple message our daughter had written on the white board above my husband’s dresser and never recognized its beautiful truth. She had written, “Joy is not a crumb.” When I noticed those words just a few weeks ago, they suddenly had my full attention.

I started to do a little digging and discovered those words come from a poem by Mary Oliver. The full quote is ”Joy is not made to be a crumb.” It launched me into thinking about how I experience joy. Of course, there are many simple joys: momentary events like sunsets, laughter, the birds in my backyard, stirring music and special times with others dear to us.

Still, joy is really about a deeper level of happiness, well being and delight. I think about my faith and how it grounds me and frees me to trust in my loving Lord. For me, joy often comes in times of worship with my church family or alone feeling gratitude and seeking stillness. But most significantly, I take joy in the confidence that I can turn to God in prayer at any moment, in any need or trouble, and in praise of His faithfulness to me. 

God’s Word promises us complete joy as we follow Him. David wrote in Psalm 16, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Several places in the Bible tell us that the Word of God is given that our joy may be full. In Psalm 30, where David shares from experience, that after weeping, “joy comes in the morning,” he also proclaims that God’s “favor is for a lifetime.”

Joy is a strong emotion. We have been given the opportunity to experience it to the highest degree. This kind of JOY is BIG, POWERFUL, and hopefully LIFE-TRANSFORMING!

Looking more into this amazing concept of joy, I rediscovered an aspect of God’s character that is almost incomprehensible to me. HE, the GOD of the UNIVERSE, takes joy in us. As God’s children we are told, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Is it possible that I might cause the Mighty One’s heart to sing? As the Good Shepherd, His heart will sing when a lost soul comes to Him in need of a Savior. As Lord, His heart will sing when we follow His path. As a Father, His heart sings simply because I am His child.

My Lord is the God of pure joy. I consider joy both a work of the Holy Spirit and a gift from God. And none of His gifts come as crumbs. His gifts to us and the joy we can experience are His perfect way of pouring out the depth of His love. So I feel challenged in my spirit to shed any negative attitudes or comments. Instead, I seek God’s grace to experience and reflect the radiance of His JOY.

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER

Linnea Tideman has always enjoyed sharing stories. Her childhood in New Hampshire and her Swedish heritage have provided her with a wealth of experiences, but also the foundation of her faith. She enjoys creative projects, travel, books, sewing, gardening, but most of all hospitality, often hosting fancy teas and occasionally something grand like recreating dinner on the Titanic. She serves the UrbanPromise and Good Neighbors ministries. Linnea lives in Landenberg with her husband Dave. They have three grown daughters. She hopes that her writing reflects how God continues to reveal Himself to us as our shepherd and Savior.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

Join us for our Christmas eve services on Tuesday, December 24, at 11:00 a.m., 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. This year, our 11:00 a.m. service is tailored to our young families with kids 10 and under. Willowdale Kids will be available for Birth - Preschool at our 3:00 p.m. service. Willowdale en Espanol will hold service on December 24 at 11:00 a.m. CLICK HERE for more information.