experience joy

One moment, one flower in the crack of the sidewalk, one smile in passing. We all spend inordinate amounts of time dwelling in the dust. How might you awaken yourself to a sense of joy today?

Isaiah 26: 19

You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!

One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver once wrote, “joy isn’t meant to be a crumb”. 

In therapy, I talk often about joy feeling like a crumb in my life. For most of my life, I have felt like a tiny mouse scattering around my family seeking crumbs of affection, love, and joy. 

For too long I have dwelled in the dust. 

Isaiah reminds me, I am not a mouse. I am not meant to live on the fringe. I am alive and redeemed and there is so much joy.

How do you experience joy? Is it in song like Isaiah prompts? Dance? Poetry? The outdoors?

Find a moment today, no matter how small, and express your joy. 

—Jeanette Rojas