Discovering Joy

Discovering Joy

Implicit in the idea of discovery is something of worth—perhaps great worth. We do not “discover” an old newspaper. Discovery belongs to things that surprise us with value we had not yet seen. For all of us, life holds moments like this. Most of our days are spent managing the ordinary—sometimes even the painful. Yet every now and then, in the middle of the mundane, something glimmers. A diamond appears in the dust of our ordinary lives. Those are the moments we treasure. Much is said about God when the spiritual world is considered, but there are a few truths so profound that discovering them feels like uncovering treasure buried deep within the human story. This is one of those truths.

In our lives, we become deeply aware of our struggles. We know our brokenness. Loneliness visits us. Expectations weigh on us. Relationships fracture. Failure exposes our limitations. Over time, we grow familiar with the quiet ache of not being enough.

Shame is the lived experience of brokenness.

But life is more—far more.

The greatest discovery we will ever make is that our lives are not defined by limitation or failure. Our lives are defined by love. Not a love we manufacture for ourselves, nor a love we must earn, but a love given to us—personally and freely.

Joy is the lived experience of love.