24 May Reclaiming My Joie de Vivre (Part 1)
Recently, our youngest granddaughter took first place in the 3200-meter race in the 2025 Georgia High School State Track and Field competition (that’s 2 miles, or 8 laps around the track). AND, her team from Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, captured the State first-place prize overall for the girls 5-A.
Josie…she’s amazing; and I don’t throw out that term loosely. But I’m not even kidding! She’s like— fire in the belly, come-from-behind amazing; she kicks it into overdrive on the last lap and passes every other runner… by a lot! Like in the movie, Chariots of Fire…amazing! That’s our Josie! Her granddaddy Bubba (JT) is absolutely wild about her running and tells everybody…even works in clips of her races as illustrations for his messages to The Gathering of Men—and guys start cheering for her! Yes, we are more than a little proud.
Josie—short for Josephine; a name that in Old French means rejoiss, or gladden, rejoice, to be full of joy, and “Jehovah increases.” I love that. And that’s what our little runner is: full of joy. Full of Jesus. And speed!
Joie de Vivre— the Joy of Life!
I’m pondering joy a lot lately. More specifically, something the French call joie de vivre. It’s an expression I learned decades ago, unique to the French people. Joie de vivre embodies a way of life and culture among the French; savoring life’s simple pleasures, living in the moment and experiencing the extraordinary in the otherwise ordinary ways of life; finding beauty and contentment in everyday experiences. It’s joy that permeates and directs the way the French think and the way that they live—with joy.
Joie de vivre is perhaps one of the most perfectly expressed core tenants of our Christian faith—the joy of life. Or as we know it—the joy of life that comes from life in Christ.
Over the past five months my joy has been threatened by deaths, disappointments and departures; and yet seasoned here and there with delights, nonetheless. That’s life in this world we now live in. Hard stuff happens, and it hurts. But God has given us this incredible gift of joy to breathe in. Not to be misunderstood as happiness (see inset), joy is dependent on God alone. In each incidence I mentioned, there has been joy. Not yippee skippy, happy clappy— but joy despite my circumstances.
At times my heart has been so heavy and sopped with tears that I thought I’d lost my joy forever—never to be found again. I couldn’t utter a prayer aloud, but only speak in sobs, while knowing that my Jesus, the Joy-Giver, prays for me when I can’t, and that the Holy Spirit interprets every one of my tears and groans (and yours, too) as words he then communicates to God on my behalf (Romans 8:26). That’s so beautiful, so comforting. And ya know what? Sometimes our tears say a whole lot more than our words ever can. Don’t fight ‘em.
Something to Think About
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” –John 15:11
Joy. It’s not the same as happiness. Happiness is based on happenstance: favorable circumstances; chance, good fortune, luck. Like a crapshoot—you’re happy if the dice is rolled in your favor.
Joy, however, is not dependent on our circumstances or attached to the things of the world. You and I are built for joy by the Joy-Giver; the One who is Himself all Joy. Living unattached to the creation, and rooted in the Creator, we can experience joy regardless of what’s happening around us or to us or in us— because Jesus is our Joie de Vivre! He gives more joy in the good times; full joy in the hardest times. Always joy in all times.
The Joy-Giver
Reclaiming my joy has been an intentional effort. I’ve had to choose it. I’ve had to choose to listen to and do what the Holy Spirit has been whispering to my heart; and that comes from first choosing to spend uninterrupted time with Him, in His Word, and quieting my heart to hear Him speak. I’ll unpack more of that over the next few weeks. Most of those things are quite ordinary, and routine. But suffice to say— we play a role in our joy by choosing joy. And sometimes getting back into the joie de vivre is simply finding it…seeing it… in the simple things of life. Jesus has led me to see and to find things with him. And nobody does joie de vivre better than Jesus!
A few thing that have rekindled my joie de vivre lately:
Slowing down and savoring each day: You can’t enjoy a meal if you gobble it up in a hurry. You’ll miss so much of what was prepared for you to enjoy.
My patio garden: my friend, Ashley, introduced me to “root roses” a couple of years ago, and I’ve loved potting them, pruning them, and watching them bloom. They are not fast bloomers—but their blooms are worth the wait. Thank you, Jesus!
My porcelain French tea pot: a lovely gift from my Wednesday night Lovelies I disciple. I admired one in a restaurant in Chicago, and they surprised me with one! It’s simple, but unique, and I love brewing a pot of tea in it. It’s a slow process, but worth the wait. Thank you, Jesus!
Cooking French scrambled eggs: I’ve started doing this more and more. They are not your typical quick scramble most diners serve up, but more custard-like. The preparation takes some time; it can’t be rushed. So delicious, and worth the wait! Yummy with a slice of sourdough on the side. Thank you, Jesus!
And my everyday go-to simple pleasure, walking: As the Latin phrase goes, solvitur ambulando, “solved by walking.” I love that, and live by that. So many things are solved by a good walk (sans cell phone); and likewise, are found by walking. Mostly joy. The joy of life in walking with the Life-Giver. Thank. you, Jesus!
One More Thing
Indeed, “Jehovah Increases!”… he makes everything in this life not only better, but full of joy and more of it.
So, what kinds of things bring you joy… the kind of joie de vivre I’ve been talking about today? Things that are simple; not expensive experiences and material things, but the simple pleasures in the beautiful ordinary routines of daily life. Please share some with me, and I’ll share them with our community here. Because there’s always room for more joy!
Until next week— don’t forget that you are greatly and dearly loved by The King! And let’s live our beautiful, ordinary lives like women who believe it…with joy!
I love you,
xo – P♥️