A few years ago my youngest daughter, Mattie, was in 6th grade and participated in the Junior Assembly cotillion in the fall. This annual Richmond, Virginia dance tradition began in the 1920s as the Junior German with the purpose of gathering young people together to learn basic social etiquette and a variety of dances. 

One night the theme was, Dancing through the Decades, so Mattie donned a flower child look complete with a peasant blouse, daisy pants, platform sandals, a fringed vest and braids in her hair (courtesy of her big sister).  Moreover, Mattie at the age of 12 was quite tall for her age. She was about my height, which is 67 inches. And most 6th grade boys according to a bit of last minute research on my part are 58 inches. So, you can imagine my delight watching Mattie (wearing platform sandals which put her up another 2 inches) and the boys she was partnered with negotiate this challenge. It’s not that easy for a little guy to twirl his partner, when she’s 11 inches taller than him, but it worked out.  The icing on the cake was when Mattie got in the car after the dance, and in the midst of sharing the details of the evening announced, “You know I have to be honest – I find it especially fun when my partner is a lot shorter than me!”   

I think that girls and boys learning new dances is one of the ways God wants to delight us. I even think that gazing at stars and being awed by celestial images are just a few of the ways God wants to  transform us. But it’s our choice, really, to recognize it and claim it. 

It takes a bit of courage to have this kind of intention—-to live,  to find something to enjoy, to get up the energy to face the day. In fact, it’s finding something right about every day of our lives that could be the real challenge.

“Joy doesn’t just happen.” says Henri Nouwen,  “You have to choose joy…and keep choosing it.” 

Sometimes we miss the message God has penned for us in the rhythms of our lives. But then I remember it’s just the way we’re wired. Our default is to focus on the problems, to miss the details of delight that are woven into each day.

The secret to changing our perspective is practice. That’s the hard and easy truth. We are who we are because we’ve practiced our way of thinking and living for quite some time. Change requires shifting our practice to new ways of thinking and seeing.

In the midst of these days when the daylight wanes early and the darkness continues to grow I want to encourage you to practice, choosing the joy. Practice, practice, practice every single day.

In between running errands and holiday preparations, mealtimes and doctor’s visits, physical therapy and checking the mail, paying bills and listening to the news—practice, as Nouwen recommends, choosing joy. Practice in small doses and increasing frequency. Practice saying yes to God, yes to joy, yes to life!

May you find joy today in unexpected ways that delight and fill your heart.