“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” (C.S. Lewis).
C.S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
And I have been thinking about that today because this life is filled with so many trials.
The other day I was speaking to a dear friend who told me that she could not bear any more loss in her life. She had lost people who she loved and pets who she loved and she did not think she was capable of bearing the grief of another loss.
And I know that feeling, because I had felt it before… You see, when my little baby died before he was even born, my grief was not only completely unexpected, but it was overwhelming in a way that changed my entire life, even to the fullest extent of my personality.
I remember thinking to myself at the time, that I would never ever be able to come up for air from all of this. People say that time heals all wounds. But time healed nothing for me. More time did not make my grief any less. In fact, the more time that passed and the more people who became irritated with my grief, the worse the grief became. It felt at times as though I were completely alone in the world. There I was surrounded by family and still that grief was mine to bear alone.
And even today, I carry that grief in my soul, completely alone – save for my God… And I think about that today, because although the grief is the same, my joy is completely different.
Before, my grief was overwhelming. It was out of my control, and it carried me. I felt as though I were being dumped in the tide by wave upon wave upon wave. And every time I tried to catch my breath; I was dumped back under again. And the weight of that grief was palpable. And that weight was terrifying. In fact, when I think of Hell, I imagine the weight of such a grief as that relentlessly overwhelming me. In Hell, I imagine the grief is caused by the absence of God…
But now – since the moment of my conversion, which occurred through Grace and no merit of my own, while I prayed for my little niece who was so sick – there is something that sits with the grief… There is joy… You see, Christ told His disciples, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly of heart.” (Matthew 11:28-29).
And when He came to find me He taught me how to carry my yoke as He does. And that is how I can have such joy within my grief.
And my prayer for you today, is that He will come to you and teach you to carry your yoke as He carries His. Because when we can learn to carry our yoke as Christ does, then we can experience such joy as the world could hardly understand…
That is my prayer for you today…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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