A Newspaper boy's Advent:Joy

There is an Easter hymn that I like very much. It is called, “There will be Joy in the Morning.” Although the specific arrangement has been sung by many church choirs over the years at Easter time, it is also a message for this season of Advent. The chorus builds with the words, “There will be joy! There will be joy in the morning on that day. There will be joy, joy, joy in the morning on that day!” Joy is a wonderful expression for the season Advent too. 

As I recall my newspaper route in the retail section of a medium size town, I remember what joy looked like to a newspaper boy at Christmas time. Joy looked like the Christmas decorations hung beautifully from telephone poles and across telephone wires that lined the streets of downtown. Joy looked like the chocolate bag of candy that the clerks at J.C. Penny’s offered to me at Christmas time. The bustling, busy shoppers loaded down with packages and bows looked like joy to me. The first crunchy, tasty bite into a steaming Coney Dog smothered in onions at a storefront restaurant and the Christmas punch and cookies at the fire-house filled my heart with joy. Oh yes, the warm, welcoming smile of the owners at Gustafson’s Paint store – so warm and friendly that you thought you were visiting you grandmother looked like joy to me. The narrow, ancient steps leading up to the Odd Fellows club and the smoke filled room, the clink of billiard balls, and 25 cents for a bottle of Coke looked like joy to a paper boy at Christmas time.  This is joy – joy, joy, joy in the morning on that day! 

What does joy look like to you?  The Christmas story is a story of mystery, a story of joy, and story of promise. Mary was surely surprised about the news she received from an angelic newspaper boy named Gabriel. Once the shock wore off and she began to process this recent news, joy looked like a song to her and with a heart of gratitude and soul of grace. “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.” (Luke 1:46-48) This is joy! This is Advent.

Prayer:

God, you fill our hearts with joy at this time of year. You are joy to us! God, in your mercy, may the eyes of our hearts and the voice of our soul, like Mary, sing praises to you – praises of joy and may we see the joy of everyday as one more surprise from the one who gives us life. Amen.