Finding Joy in the midst of Chaos

Joy should be the one thing we do not have to work at. Why do we have to work on being happy or joyful? It should be easy. Right?

The melancholic in me is not easily given to joyful, anxiety-free living. I’m intense, often very serious about life, and I wear my seriousness on my face more often than I would like to admit.

Oftentimes, I have to remind myself to smile, actively search for less “serious” things to occupy my mind, and just allow joy to emanate from my heart.

And this is me on a regular day.

So throw in all the chaos happening in life, plus the busyness of children, marriage,  and career, and you just know that I have no time for anything remotely “unserious”. However, in the chaos of life, that’s precisely when we need to actively seek out laughter, fun, and just exhale.

Stop

The first step to finding joy in the midst of chaos is to stop. Stop hurrying through life. Quit doomscrolling. Mute the bad news for a while. Overall, cut out the unhealthy habits and take a pause on the good but intensely busy activities.

Just pull the brakes on everything that’s fueling your anxiety, pain, and pressure.

Take a break long enough to hear yourself think, reflect, and hear your heart beat at its own pace.

The world will still be here tomorrow. For today, give it a break.

Seek

Seek out and do the things that make you laugh loudly, bring a cooling wash of calm over you, or make your heart content.

A lot of us have replaced physical fun with devices, to the detriment of our bodies. The feel-good emotions we experience from being active have become dormant. We’re stuck in a rut.

Some of us really need to go out and touch grass. Literally. We need to feel the ground beneath our feet again, to know that the earth is still in place, our hearts are beating, and there’s place for happiness.

Create

Additionally, create experiences that excite your senses. Soulful music, pleasant fragrances, colors so vibrant to behold; these are things that we do not forget in a hurry.

God is very intentional about His creations. The sights, sounds, and smells around us were created to enhance our living experiences, fill us with gladness, and with that we give praise to the Creator.

It’s a pity that life has gotten so dark, busy, and pressure-filled that we have no interest in smelling the roses around us.

It’s time to change that.

So what’s the take-away?

Far from asking you to become vain, I’m asking you to be intentional about the things that give you balance, keep you calm enough to discern your ways, and strength to keep carrying the crosses you carry daily.

If I’m going to be working hard at a desk, well, it wouldn’t hurt to have a bouquet of roses on it.

Fall in love and enjoy healthy companionship.

Eat delicious meals, repaint the walls of your room.

Live and let live. Some of us have to work on finding and keeping our joy. Because if you let it, the world will steal and crush it.

Balance is important. Rest, rejoice, build up your inner man, and then you can do the work, both physical and spiritual.

Reflection: What experiences can you seek out today to help bring more balance into your life?