Scraps of Joy

Know your audience.

That’s what almost every writing coach or speaking mentor will tell you. If you want to get your message across with the biggest punch, you need to understand who will be receiving that message, and deliver it accordingly.

When Sweetie and Peaches were ages 5 and 3, I wanted them to grasp how important it was to wear seat belts the whole time they were riding in a car. This was back in the day when kids were out of infant car seats by the time they were 2. The next step was a booster seat, which was basically a raised platform to sit on where the child was held in place by the vehicle’s lap-belt/shoulder-strap combination. It was often uncomfortable.

So one day after I had buckled them into the back seat and before I had started the car, I told them a story that had been in the news that week. I thought it was relevant and timely.

I want to tell you about a little boy your age. He was riding in the back seat of his Mommy’s car. He wasn’t wearing his seat belt. Then, his Mommy couldn’t help it but, the car she was driving crashed and the little boy … he wasn’t wearing his seat belt and he flew right out the window.

Three-year-old Peaches was completely spellbound. Her eyes grew bigger when I mentioned the crash. At the end of the story, her little mouth opened in awe and her eyes grew as big as they could get. She turned to look at the window and then turned back to me.

In wonder she said, “He could fly?”

That’s when I knew my message had gone over her head and right out the window.

We had a fresh dusting of snow tonight. And at 11 o’clock at night as I stood out in the back yard I looked up through the criss-crossed branches of the big old elm tree, where the downy snow had settled like sleepy white doves, up, up to the canopy above. It was what I call a snow sky. Anyone who has lived on the Canadian prairies knows what a snow sky looks like.

I caught my breath at the hush. The stillness. The quiet. Even the highway was quiet at this time of night. And the light! A week ago I had been out in the yard about this time of night – when there was no snow on the ground. The dark was suffocating and a little scary as I took the garbage to the alley. But tonight! Tonight the snow brought such a peaceful light. I felt I could hear God breathe. Right there beside me, over me, around me.

Though my sins were as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Snow, that brings light and lightness, peace and peacefulness, prayer and thanksgiving. And joy. Always joy.

I’m tired. It’s been a bit of a rough week but I’m glad I took the time at this late hour after the house had all gone to bed and turned out the lights, to step outside into this holy hush. To breathe, and find my joy again.

Start a blog?? What in the world for! There are enough words floating around out there in cyberspace. Why do I have to add mine to the mix?

And yet, over the past 2 years the niggling thought, the odd comment from a friend – “You should start a blog” – wouldn’t go away.

So here I sit on this learning curve. Bear with me as I fashion and piece this project together.

Meanwhile welcome to my world, where I choose joy.

I am not blissfully oblivious to the things going on in the world around me. Heaven knows I have had and continue to have troubles of my own. But I do choose not to make that my focus.

One thing I know. We can choose joy. After all, isn’t joy actually looking for God at work – even in the tough times?

Join me as I look for scraps of joy in everyday life. I look forward to your company.