I read recently, that in order to rejoice, we would have to first ‘joice. It made total sense to me and a lightbulb went off in my head, as I understood what the writer was trying to say. Is this why people don’t rejoice? If to recreate something is to create it again, then rejoice is to have ‘joice again. Now, ‘joice isn’t really a word all by itself but are you hanging with me on my thinking? I hope you are because we’ll make sense of it in a minute.
To rejoice means to feel great delight, to feel joy, to be glad.
So often I see people for whom this is a foreign concept. They don’t have great delight over anything or feel joy about anything and they certainly aren’t glad about things. So we look at them thinking; what is wrong with them that they can’t rejoice in their good times or the good times of others but the fact is, if they don’t know what that feels like, then how can we expect it?
I have a daughter, whom we call Eyeore. She is negative about everything. She can be laughing and talking and having a great time but if you ask how she is, suddenly, she stops laughing and says, “fine”, just like Eyeore! For some, they see life through dark glasses. They see as if at any moment, a demoliton crew is coming to take it all away.
Part of it, is that they see life through themselves and what is in it for them. Part of it, is that they do not feel glad or happy or pure joy over things. Whether that is nature or nurture is dependent on who you talk to. The fact still remains, for some people there is no joy or peace.
Today, begin to see things through clear eyes. See things for what they are. I know you will find some good things to ‘joice about. Take a look at your kitchen pantry, yes, it’s a total mess but there is food in it right? YES! That’s a plus! Look in your fridge, don’t open the tupperware because that will gross you out, but there is something in it, even if can’t be eaten, so have some joy! Go out to your car, it may not be your dream car but there are people around the world who would be thrilled to have a car in half the shape yours is in. There is so much to be thankful for and we are such a take-for-granted people. Today, just maybe we need to begin to have ‘joice over things so that in a little while we can Rejoice with a true sense of what the word is supposed to mean!
Pastor Susan 
When some friends of mine came to America from South Africa, they commented on how much water we have here. They actually made a point of telling me they had wondered why I was so cavalier with their water back home when it was so scarce.
Of course I apologized. In my spoiled American mind I had been inconsiderate of the problems of others, although it didn’t take me long to be more careful…especially with a band of people constantly reminding me. According to the some scientists the wars of the future won’t be fought over land or gold or oil, but water. So we in America really don’t realize how good we have it nor do we get how utterly blessed we are to have water to rinse and spit instead of rinse and swallow.
Sometimes those used to abundance begin to act and feel like it’s their right rather than a blessing. When they don’t get more, they feel cheated and upset.
At this moment my bathroom floor is torn up, my fridge is making wierd sounds like it’s weasing out its last breaths. I could worry and be frustrated or I could just be thankful I have a shower, having already lived in a cabin where the nearest water was a 1/4 mile away and straight out of a mountain stream. Taking a shower outside when the water can freeze your brain is not something I long for…so I’m thankful every day that I have a bathroom with a working shower.
Like love, joy is a choice and a result of how we look at the world around us. I choose to look at everything through the eyes of Jesus, who for joy set before Him submitted Himself to death on a cross. I haven’t gone that far yet, but I pray for the courage to do so…joyfully.