Living the Joy of the Lord this Lent

How often do we meet Christians who seem to be bubbling over with joy, whose happiness is contagious?  In a time when many of us are deprived of the Sacraments and public worship, with no end to lockdowns in sight, it’s easy to fret, become frustrated and anxious.  Yet as we go through the Psalms and readings in praying Mattins and Evensong, we find exhortations to “fret not” and to be “anxious for nothing.” How well are we doing these days?

I often pray the Rosary either while walking or while exercising in a hotel pool near my home, a pool that has thankfully reopened again after a period of pandemic lockdown.  Often I have the pool to myself and am so grateful for this haven of tranquility.

The other day, a young man came to the pool, someone other than the usual collection of oldsters who belong to the health club, and we soon struck up a conversation. What struck me about him was how friendly he was, how happy he seemed. Often, when one or two others are in the pool, there’s barely a nod of greeting as people get down to their laps, so this was unusual. I mentioned how tired I was of the lockdown and he smiled, raised his hands in the air, looked up and said, “All I can do is pray that God delivers us from all this.” As he did so, his face was alight.  

Of course, his saying this prompted me to ask questions and to discover that yes, he is a Christian, though not of any particular denomination. He attends a charismatic church.  We had a good conversation and it struck me how full of joy and gratitude he was, and how eager he was to serve the Lord and spread the Good News. He told me how he had had a passion to go on a mission trip and searched for various opportunities and ended up going to Guatemala. He told me he had a wonderful time there.

Meeting this young man made me think, “gee, what kind of message am I sending in my demeanor?  Am I spreading the joy of the Lord, gratitude, thanksgiving and peace?  Or am I complaining, spreading alarm over this or that in the news, or fretting about the restrictions preventing us from traveling, from gathering for fellowship and so on?”

Well, I would rather be like the happy young man, joyful in the Lord, bubbling over with thanksgiving.  

So as part of my Lenten discipline, I endeavor to do a better job of uprooting  frustration, fretting and anxious imaginings as soon as they sprout. 

Christians, may we exude the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ this is possible for us.

Deborah Gyapong is the former president and current board member of the ACS.