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| desired response to the "Bringer-of-Joy" mentality |
We inherently know that the ultimate way to experience joy is to share it with others, otherwise: Why else would an expecting couple burn anxiously with a desire to share the good news of a baby with family? Why would a man who was offered an executive position at work make special dinner plans to share the news with his wife? Why would God have created man to share in his goodness if not because he knew that having someone to share it with would make it that much more meaningful? Keeping such things to ourselves devalues the joy attached to them because it serves no purpose and dies. It must be shared to thrive. The purpose for our joy as humans is to lift others' eyes to the giver of joy, but it's when we intend to capitalize on this joy by seeking praise that our motives become selfish, hence the "bringer of joy" mentality. Then we only do things to feed our own ego, not to truly give glory where glory is due.
Now y'all may be saying by now that I'm just blowing out a lot of hot air, and you're probably right, but it helps to set up the story I have from the reservation this week. One last note: I think that this is somewhat related to Christ's teaching that if we want to find ourselves, then we must lose ourselves completely in service to others. If we want to be happy, we have to be willing to invite others to claim full ownership of that happiness.
On Wednesday of this past week I had the opportunity to travel around the indian reservation with the home-health nurse who takes care of all the elders of the Ute Mountain Tribe. We spent the afternoon at the senior center monitoring blood pressure, O2 sats, blood sugar, and other basic vitals. There were only a few individuals there so we had a lot of time to just sit and chat with the folks and get to know them. One woman, who I'll call Jane, made a particular impression on me that afternoon. Jane is probably in her mid-40's, is completely blind, and can play a mean piano (I knew when I found this out that this gal and I were gonna get along juuuust fine)!!! Jane has the disposition of a child, I'm not sure if it may be due to developmental disability or some past medical condition, but it is in no way a vice. It's that very disposition that opened my eyes to see that her lack of sight did not mean a lack of life, quite the opposite!
Jane took every opportunity to joke around with another man at the center, calling him Spongebob or Patrick every time he started acting ornery (btw, Jane loves Spongebob, another clue that we would be like two peas in a pod). We got Jane over to the piano and one of the nurses brought a list of about 30 songs that she had learned to play by ear for us to request from. Looking through it I spotted "Imagine" by John Lennon and asked if I could sing along.
She started out and I came in too early, stomping all over her intro, and she wasn't having it! So with a little sass ;) she started again and we made it through that time. For about 30 minutes we jammed out to The Beatles, when I would go for the high notes and miss them, she'd giggle to herself and when I hit them she would let out a little squeal and squirm in her seat with excitement, lol. Seeing her so excited because of something as simple as someone to jam with gave me pause. It's not the great things done in life that bring great joy (the lie believed by Mr. bringer-of-joy, see above), but instead the little things done with great self-gift. To experience her happiness in that moment left me far more grateful than I could have imagined that day starting out.
After we finished, I jokingly suggested to Jane that she and I should take our jam sessions on the road for a concert tour. She disagreed, she preferred we try out for "The Voice". I need to learn to dream bigger, obviously! Thanks, Jane!
A Voice Crying Out in the Desert:
Trying to stick to my challenge last week of reading the life of Christ more regularly, I have realized something... I suck at reading the bible. Plain and simple. I get antsy, nervous, and intimidated that I'm not going to procure some new insight into what I read and probably because I'm setting expectations for myself that are unrealistic (and that's probably a prideful approach to scripture anyway). I don't know if you experience the same as me, but unlike a lot of Christians, very seldom is the experience of reading the bible comforting for me.
But I'm not gonna leave it there. If scripture was easy to understand, the holy spirit might be out of a job and we might be out of a relationship. After all, people don't pursue a relationship because they know everything about the other person, they do it to be drawn in closer to the most interior parts of that person's being and to work to understand that person. Actually, reading the bible is a lot like dating: It's unpredictable, not because you don't know what words are coming next, but because you don't know how it will change your life next (you can call me the Love Doctor, now). Kind of scary, but thrilling. We have to keep coming back to it and allow ourselves to be conformed to its words until our identity is intertwined with its truth! Sound like a teenage romance story, anyone??!?!? That's all I got for now, God's blessings to all of y'all!
P.S.- Just want to say thank you to all of the service men and women who have died to fight for the freedoms we share in as Americans. May God bless all of you and may the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. I pray especially for my grandpa, Jim.
St. Martin of Tours... †
1 of the many waterfalls in Telluride, CO.
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