Joy
Title: “Joy: Advent”, Part of the Tabiji Eggshell collection. “Tabiji” means “journey through” in Japanese.
Media: eggshell, acrylic paint, thread
Side view
Beloved Soul Shelter sisters and brothers…
Joy might feel like a bit of a reach this holiday season. Understandable. That giddy delight can seem elusive, and maybe even off-putting. I’d offer that there’s another face of joy to walk with besides the cheery jingle bell type, because joy doesn’t only happen when things are going well. It happens in darker times too - just in a grittier, more robust and lasting form. This gritty kind of joy will drop an anchor for you to ever-deeper places in the sea of your soul, grounding you and giving you strength.
It’s in the person who looks you in the eye and says “I believe you.”
It’s the point when you find your voice again.
It’s the moment when you notice the beauty of a sunset for the first time in a very, very long time.
These are treasures in the dark.
We can learn to see them in the many ways they come to us - to train the eyes of our spirit to watch for gratitude. Gratitude and joy are linked, so one leads to the other. I’ve found gratitude to be a helpful practice over the years - especially in times when it looked like there was not a lot to be thankful for. I am not suggesting hiding from reality or sugarcoating it, but facing into it knowing there are gifts to be found, even in the seasons of night. Sometimes the gratitude is very simple - but no less valuable. For breath. For air. For a bright red leaf on a tree. For coffee. For chocolate.
The joy built here is of a serious, quieter flavor. It’s rooted in a decision to keep looking for things to be grateful for - not as denial, or as a spiritual happy-happy veneer - it’s simply the deep grace of being seen and known and believed. Joy comes unbidden, with outstretched arms and a compassionate gaze just for you, ready to be noticed and welcomed, to whisper your belovedness to you again and again.
With deep joy,
Wendy
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