23 July 2009

Why should your heart not dance?

In my favorite book by C. S. Lewis, the heroine finds herself taking a difficult journey; she is certain that when she reaches her destination she will find the lifeless body of her beloved sister. However, along the way, traveling through a beautiful valley at sunrise with the first rays of the sun streaming over a mountain and the heavy mist lifting from the ground, she feels a surge of joy and hope welling up within her. As much as she attempts to suppress these feelings, stoically favoring a more somber mood, the constant reminders of life and beauty all around her command a voice inside her head to ask: why should your heart not dance? And a voice inside her heart replies: why not?

Indeed, why not? Why choose somber over joy, sadness over bliss, fear over love? Life gives us an endless supply of opportunities to travel down the happy path. There are times when the sad path is unavoidable, even required, but it is not fixed.

In the midst of sadness, finding the light of happiness may seem impossible; it may seem that the effort exceeds our ability. That is precisely the time to express gratitude, in advance, for the love and joy in our lives and imagine stepping into a golden pool of light, allowing the sweet energy of joy and hope to well up within ourselves. We are children of God and the golden pool of His love’s light shines down on us constantly; we need only realize it is there, inviting our hearts to dance.

1 comment:

  1. very well said and i am so glad i found so much happiness with you!

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