Sharing Joy is Easy Because its Contagious

Posted by DJL on Oct 21, 2014 in Faith | 2 comments

I woke up this morning in Phoenix and look forward to sharing the day with leaders of the Grand Canyon Synod. On may way from the airport last evening I had a rather remarkable experience. Actually, it was on the one hand rather ordinary, even mundane, but maybe that’s why it made it seem all the more extraordinary.

I’ll confess that Sky Harbor – Phoenix’s airport – is not my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, filled with shops, restaurants, even a museum, and there’s nothing quite like emerging from whatever climate you’ve been in to the warmth of the Phoenix sun. But what I don’t like is that the rental car facility is some distance from the airport and that means one more stage in the journey from wherever I’ve been to wherever I’m going. On top of that, it’s been a great, but exhausting, week or two with celebrations, meetings, travel, sermons, writing, and all the rest. So the prospect of catching the shuttle to the rental facility was, to say the least, not attractive. (You’ve had these kinds of days, and so while we all know this kind of thing isn’t that big of a deal in the big picture, you also probably know just what I mean.)

But here’s the thing: when I got on the shuttle and we began to move, the driver started talking about Phoenix. Not just of various sites, but what he loved about it, and what he hoped we’d love about it, too. He then shared his delight over the recent and unexpected rain they’d had and how that rain brought more green into the scenery, made the air less dusty, gave us a much better view on the horizon, and created for us – and the way he told the story it really seemed like all that rain really was just of us – a fresh and clean Phoenix just waiting for us to enjoy. And, indeed, the city skyline suddenly seemed more beautiful even as he spoke.

This wasn’t just a one or two sentence patter, practiced who knows how many times a day. It was simple and genuine rejoicing in his surroundings, his job, and his comrades on this bus ride. He expressed several times how much he enjoys his work, how much it means to him to be able to help people in this way, and how much he hoped we would enjoy Phoenix.

I looked around as he was talking – pretty much non-stop on the 8 or 10 minute ride to the rental car facility – and everyone else had the same smile I did. When he was done, we clapped. We couldn’t help it. And I went to get my car feeling refreshed, happy, ready for what was coming next.

I have no idea whether or not this man was a Christian, and I certainly wouldn’t presume that only Christians know and share this kind of joy. But as he was talking, I was reminded of Paul’s admonition, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say it, rejoice” (4:4). And it struck me again what a powerful thing joy is, and how easy it is to share because it’s contagious. Which means that the joy you express to others multiplies as they become more joyful and can share their joy in turn.

So what mundane thing will you enliven today with joy? What ordinary event will you make extraordinary. Opportunities to share and multiply joy abound. Just look for them.