Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy," (Ps. 126:2-3).
A member of our church took a recent trip to Kenya. God rocked her world. This is what she learned:
We drove through Nairobi—a big, busy, crowded city. Full of people. Full of stuff. Full of movement. I didn’t experience the people there other than driving by in our bus. But, I didn’t see many smiles. I didn’t see much laughter.
There is so much joy—true, bubbling over, uninhibited, deep down from your soul joy in so many people that we came in contact with while in Segera. They don’t have much, but they do have laughter and songs and confidence that the Lord has done great things for them. They have a deep joy that transcends circumstances.
What’s keeping me from that kind of joy? Change of pace + change of place = perspective. Got lots of that during my time there.
I have lots of distractions here—lots. Lots of ways to easily compare my life to others and feel like my life isn’t as great as my neighbors. That’s a sure fire way to kill some joy.
I have lots of stuff here. Lots of clothes to wash (joy killer), lots of toys to put away, lots of dishes to clean. I don’t think the stuff we have here is bad, not at all. I do think that I, personally, have become too focused on having stuff and that has killed some joy.
I have lots to do here. Hurry here. Rush there. From one thing to the next and I forget about the people. I’m in such a hurry that I don’t have time to build, nurture and develop relationships. Relationships that would be good for my soul, that would bring peace, laughter and joy.
So… I’m slowing down. I’m taking it easy. I’m going to smile more. Laugh more and take the time to show people they matter—relationships matter. Relationships bring joy.
