There was a song I learned when I was a little girl in my Sunday School class that went something like this –

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in My heart. Where? 

Down in My Heart.

If you know it, I’m sure you’re humming along at this point. 

And I’m so happy. So very happy. I’ve got the love of Jesus in my he-aaaaaa-rt. 

And of course, every kids favorite part – 

And if the Devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack. Ouch! Sit on a tack! Ouch! Sit on a tack! 

None of us kids really knew what a tack was, but we got to jump up out of our seats and grab our behinds, so that was all that really mattered. 

Even now, I bet if I started singing the first few notes of that song all my Baptist friends would join right in and still grab their tushies when the Devil sits on a tack. 

But something has happened between being kids who sang that song unashamedly and growing into adults who seem to have forgotten all about joy. 

I think a lot of us pushed that joy really far down in our hearts. Like way too far down. So way, way down that the joy doesn’t show up very often anymore. 

Have you noticed it too? 

There’s a whole lot of people who seem angry. And jealous. And mean. And just plain tired. 

Where did the joy go? 

In my extensive research and thorough investigation (ok, more like just thinking about it for 5 minutes at the end of the day before my head hits the pillow), I decided to list all the happy people I knew and what they had in common. A little dorky? Yes. But insightful? Also yes. 

I started with money and good health – two things that should insure happiness. But I quickly had to scratch those off, as none of the happy people I knew had an abundance of either one. Nice homes? Some were a yes, some were a no. Stress free lives? Absolutely not – the stress for these people was the same as for anyone else. 

Secure marriages? Maybe. Although some of the happy people were on their second go round at it. Living in beautiful cities or neighborhoods? Not at all. Perfect children? Nope. Beautiful faces and model bodies? Nada. Jobs they loved and gave them purpose? Sometimes, but not always. 

My list was getting longer. It was harder than I thought to find something in common amongst the joyful people I knew. But I persevered. And just as I was about to give up, I hit upon two traits that every single one of my happy friends shared.

First  – all my happy friends have an abundance of generosity and love for others. Not just a little bit. Not only to people they like. But to everyone. These happy people open their arms and their hearts wide, they invite all into their lives, they are generous to the extreme, and they always think of others first. They are the type of people who give money to strangers, who invite the new neighbor to the block party, who drop everything to help someone in need. Their joy in helping others has no limits. And they do it with a smile on their face.

Second – and this one surprised me – all my happy friends love to eat. Not in an unhealthy way, but in a delightful way. Food to these friends is something to be enjoyed. Something to look forward to. There is always lots of talk about dinner plans and exciting new dishes they have tried. Getting together over a meal is something that all my happy friends love to do. Fish fries, crawfish boils, pot-luck lunches after church. My happy friends all savor the experience that a good meal can bring. Afterall, it makes sense. Have you ever seen a grumpy person eating lemon ice-boxed pie? I didn’t think so. 

Jesus once told the story of a man who had a son. This son was no-good, took his father’s money, wasted it all, and then when he was broke and despondent, decided to return home to beg for forgiveness. Jesus says when the father saw his son walking on the road back home, he ran to him and smothered him in hugs and kisses, his arms open wide to welcome his precious child. He did not stop to say “I need some time to think about this” or “I can forgive you but I won’t forget” or “It’s really not fair what you did to me.” No, this father’s joy was abundant. He never closed his heart to a returning son. 

And not only that, but what did the father say? “Go buy the biggest crawfish you can find. Get that boudin out of the freezer that we’ve been saving for a special occasion. Put the pots on to boil. We’re havin’ us a party tonight!” Or something like that. 

Now I am not a theological expert, or have spent too much time studying the nuances of Jesus’ parables, or even have a degree that would give me permission to dissect this story, but I just wonder if it’s a coincidence that the joyous Father in this story is also a Generous, People Loving, Arms Open Wide, Feaster too? 

Maybe it’s that simple. Maybe Jesus was telling us the way to happiness all those years ago with a story. Maybe he knew that finding our joy would be hard some days, so he was pointing us toward the way. 

Go love people. Even when it’s hard. Even when they don’t love you back. Even when they have hurt you. Open your arms wide to others and the happiness will flow in, like a child running into his Father’s arms. Give, and the joy will be abundant. 

Then, go enjoy a really good meal together. 

And if the Devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack.