An Introduction to Joy by Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=211816&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Chase Butler
The very first thing I did was shatter a glass on the bathroom floor Saturday morning. I'm talking pre-coffee, pre-pants, pre-everything. Glass everywhere. For a millisecond I almost got mad, but I caught myself. Why? Because I had a major shift in perspective the night before that helped me avoid the "I'm such an idiot and I wonder why Lacie set this booby trap" thought. Have you heard of a guy named Rob Bell? He's an author, speaker, previous pastor; most famous, at least in my sphere, for writing Velvet Elvis and the "controversial" Love Wins. He is undeniably one of the best communicators I've listened to, regardless of your opinions of his theology.
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The very first thing I did was shatter a glass on the bathroom floor Saturday morning. I'm talking pre-coffee, pre-pants, pre-everything. Glass everywhere.
For a millisecond I almost got mad, but I caught myself. Why? Because I had a major shift in perspective the night before that helped me avoid the "I'm such an idiot and I wonder why Lacie set this booby trap" thought.
Have you heard of a guy named Rob Bell? He's an author, speaker, previous pastor; most famous, at least in my sphere, for writing Velvet Elvis and the "controversial" Love Wins. He is undeniably one of the best communicators I've listened to, regardless of your opinions of his theology.
His tour was titled "An Introduction to Joy." Do you ever hear a sermon, a talk, a song, a whatever and think to yourself, "God, that is exactly what I needed to hear?" That was me Friday.
As much as I want to word vomit all of my notes from the hour and a half he spoke, I understand I'd probably lose most of you at that point. So instead, here's a paraphrased snapshot of the evening that maybe you need to hear just as much as I did:
Cynicism is easy and lazy and doesn't go far enough. Joy is different than happy. Joy is not the elimination of pain. Joy is changing the way you view everything.
Life is a Vapor
There are moments when everything is okay in the world even when everything isn't. Be happy even in your toil. Life is hevel (mist, vapor). Evil is being surrounded by the goodness but being unable to enjoy it.
Ecclesiastes is for everybody who realizes A plus B doesn't always equal C. The cynic pretends that he's wise but only dips his toe in the heaviness. The invitation, though, has always been to step fully into "this."
Joy reframes the whole thing. Is it a trial to be endured or an adventure we get to go on? The framing is everything. Joy is highly tuned into language phrases. No wonder you're miserable—you're telling terrible stories that aren't true.
Joy is what happens when the "every-day" starts getting electrified. Joy delights in the absurdity. Joy was there the whole way.
Joy resists easy generalizations. Joy spots the little moments of resistance. Joy celebrates movement and life wherever it sees it.
I know there's probably a "had to be there" factor going on. Energy in a room doesn't always translate. But goodness gracious, do you feel just a little spark inside today where there might not have been a spark before?
That's my hope for you, because I know what it feels like to not always have that spark. In fact, just last week I wrote a long letter to someone I care about outlining in great detail my discontentment.
It's time to celebrate, not complain, for life is fleeting, and there's always something worth savoring. Shattered glasses and shattered life circumstances—but joy! It's there, and I hope you see it today.
Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=234074&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There seems to be a recurring topic that continues to come up in my life—the balance between contentment and goals. Do I appreciate what I have, and am I working towards something meaningful that forces me to grow? An either/or approach never works. On one hand, you lend yourself to apathy and stagnation. On the other, you live under the tyranny of nothing ever being enough, endless striving that costs you something you never intended. I don't pretend to have this figured out. Every once in a while, I sense the alignment between the two within myself, but it's normally a fleeting moment followed by the pendulum tipping back towards one side.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=233123&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There are moments when I long for an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, or hope and receive nothing. Even in earnest seeking, eager anticipation, a proper posture, an open heart, a willing spirit—nothing. Then there are moments when I receive an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, and hope when I least expect it. Not seeking, not anticipating, yet a glimpse is given. So what to conclude?
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=231499&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
If the idea of selling everything and living out of a backpack on the road sounds like a nightmare instead of a grand adventure, this post might not be for you. If challenging the status quo and questioning societal norms in the pursuit of a full and satisfying life sounds intriguing, then let's continue. The beauty of friendship is that conversations tend to draw out aspects of yourself that otherwise would have been left untouched and dormant, or at the very least overlooked or ignored.