What Is the Source of Your Joy?

Mystic and theologian Howard Thurman (1899–1981)
writes of faith as the most secure foundation for joy:

There are some who are dependent upon
the mood of others for their happiness….

There are some whose joy is dependent upon circumstances….

There are some who must win their joy against high odds,
squeeze it out of the arid ground of their living
or wrest it from the stubborn sadness of circumstance….

There are still others who find their joy deep in the
heart of their religious experience.

It is not related to, dependent upon, or derived from,
any circumstances or conditions in the midst of which they must live.

There is a strange quality of awe in their joy,
that is but a reflection of the deep calm water
of the spirit out of which it comes.

It is primarily a discovery of the soul, where there are no words, no outward song,
only the Divine Movement.

This is the joy that keeps watch against all the emissaries
of sadness of mind and weariness of soul.

Joy is a gift that is there even when we are sorrowful,
even when we are in pain, even when things are difficult in our lives.

What we have to start sensing is that in the spiritual life,
joy is embracing sorrow and happiness, pain and pleasure.

It is something that remains with us.
It is something we can experience even when we are in touch
with very painful things in our lives.

When we can face our own painful situation,
we will discover that hidden in the pain is the treasure
—a joy that is there for us to experience here and now.
It is very important that we get in touch with this.

Underneath all our fluctuations
is a deep solid divine stream that is called joy.