Affirmation
Yesterday we welcomed joy. Today, we choose to notice it, remember it, and hold on to it.
Reflection
Joy often arrives in small, unexpected ways — and sometimes in the tiniest of places.
January invites us to do something new.
To experience joy in new ways.
Then, it calls us to hold on to that joy.
To carry it forward.
So, I asked my husband to take me on a date to the NC Museum of Art to see the Book of Esther exhibit. And so we went.
Then, the unexpected happened.
Joy.
In the tiniest of places.
There, tucked against the back wall, stood a glass case. Two small “metal objects” that seemed to be the “lock” for a prayer book, each intricately designed. And then a tiny cover (that once covered a prayer book) to the right. Perhaps made of pearl or stone. It had a pinkish hue. Mind you, these dated back to the 1600s. So, that fact alone left me in awe.
The cover looked no bigger than two inches by three inches. The carving alone captured my attention. I couldn’t make out the whole story, but it clearly held one. I was disappointed afterwards that I hadn’t taken a picture of it. But here is where the joy comes into play. I have the memory of that prayer book cover. And I can still feel the joy.
Today, we hold on to that kind of joy — the kind that whispers, “I’m here. Don’t rush past me. Stop. Take a peek. Maybe you’ll enjoy what you see.”
Prayer
God, help us notice the joy that we tuck into our pockets. A museum stub. A tissue with tears of joy. A few coins left from the change of a cup of coffee shared with a loved one. Teach us to treasure these pockets of joy. Amen.
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I and Thou Reflections 