Joy in an Unexpected Place

I saw joy today. We had rehearsal this morning for tomorrow's worship and one of our singers cares for a person with special needs. So she brought her charge along. This young lady is no stranger to worship or to our church, and while she talked a lot beforehand about Lady Gaga, once we began singing, she began worshipping. I watched as she danced, played air guitar, sang along occasionally, played some more air guitar, and laughed at us when we made mistakes. We were laughing at ourselves, too!

And then, during one of the songs, at a moment when the singing was going particularly well, I happened to glance away from the screen and to her face. And what I observed there I can only describe as pure and utter joy. Her face was turned upward, her hands were cupping her cheeks, and her smile was perhaps the most radiant thing I've ever seen. Joy! Unspeakable joy!

It was a wonderful reminder for me, who spends so much time worrying and focusing on worship details, making sure everything goes well. We in the church focus on things that ultimately mean so little. Were we always on key? Did the songs "flow"? How many people cried, or raised their hands, or sang out loud...or whatever metric we use to determine "effectiveness"? And in that moment of pure, rapturous joy on this young lady's face, I was reminded what it's all about. Why we do what we do. C. S. Lewis was right. It's all about being surprised by joy. And I was surprised today.

A lot of folks would look at this young lady and feel sorry for her because of her challenges. Not me. I look at her and I'm envious. She has the kind of joy most of us only dream about. And it fills her soul.

As you prepare to worship tomorrow morning, may you, too, be surprised by joy in unexpected places.