The Need for Joy

Aah, I can feel it in the air. It’s that time of year when all good cheer is wafting merrily through the air and I feel the need to celebrate! Mark's earthy response to my need for socialization is that maybe I should be a party planner, but he misses the point entirely. That would be like being a planner and never a bride. I simply love to gather with friends and enjoy festivities. I find that most people I know have their faces so embedded in the day to day nuts and bolts that they rarely kick up their heels. So what if I'm the one who has to put on the red suit and chuckle? Somebodies got to do it! We need a little joy.

Not too long ago the holidays were difficult for me. I lost my brother on Christmas Eve. He was buried four days later on my birthday, so you can see that kind of put a damper on the whole season. But now I get excited like a child when the cool weather starts to blow in and I feel the tickle of Christmas in my stomach. I've heard all the woes about the commercialism etc., but that doesn't dent my enthusiasm. As Christians we should be the jolliest people around. I have personally been rescued from pain, darkness, and despair. I've been given a new life, so why wouldn't I want to celebrate?

Today I had lunch with a friend, one of the many friends I have that shares my name or at least part of it. Kim, in my estimation is a real party girl. I don't mean that in a derogatory way. She just exudes life. I don't know if she even recognizes it, because she's working pretty hard at being good! I hope she never becomes so good that she loses her childlike playfulness, because that's what God loves and I love about her. Don't you get tired of being all stiff and grown up? I believe the Lord gets tired of it too! He's pretty clear on what He thinks about stiff-neck people. So if you don't want to hang with the stiff-necked Pharisee types, kick off your shoes and start dancing! We have a lot to be joyful about!