07 Jun Reclaiming My Joie de Vivre (Part 2)

I had to wear a heart monitor for a few days last week. Just a little project my doctor assigned to me to monitor my heart rate (I have a family history of heart stuff, and he is thoroughly checking all the boxes to get a baseline on my heart—so far is all good, praise the Lord!).

Have you ever worn a heart monitor? Three electrodes were stuck to my chest, and I carried the monitor the size of like an iPhone 50, that had to always remain within 25 feet of me. It was so much fun 🤦🏼‍♀️. I’m sure I logged about 40,000 steps a day just walking around to find my way back to the monitor that I kept forgetting to keep with me (probably elevating my heart rate in frustration). Why don’t they make a little strappy thing for it like a cross-body purse that you could just sling over your shoulder?

My point is that I was tethered to this heart monitor… I couldn’t escape it or it would start dinging, warning me that I’d strayed too far from it.

It struck me that in the same way, by faith in Christ Jesus (the true Heart Monitor), neither can I stray too far from joy. His joy. I can’t escape it. I’m spiritually stuck to it…like those little electrodes were stuck to my chest.

If the Holy Spirit of Jesus is in us, then you and I already have this Joy—and it’s the “joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (and yours) to stay.” That joy is true joie de vivre, the joy of the life of Christ in you and me. We are tethered to it—and because we are, we can always find our way back to it.

Cultivating the Joie in my Vivre!

I had my annual visit with my naturopathic and nutritional doctor last month. I’ve been her patient for about 20 years. Dr. Sheri…golly, I love her! She has helped me in so many ways to learn how to live a healthier and better quality of life, and to “treat food as medicine.” Even in times when I’ve been in a physical struggle with health (i.e. breast cancer, surgeries; or life-stresses) she’s encouraged me that it’s all the good you do for your health along the way that gets you through those tough times; take care of your body and your body takes care of you.

I was dreading the results of my labs, but blood doesn’t lie, and it proved Dr. Sheri’s point. I was amazed that my results were nearly perfect despite the several months of stress I’d been under. Our bodies really are amazing and wonderfully made, praise the Lord! Cultivate good health. Make a regular practice of treating your body well, and it will treat you well.

Abiding in the Joy-Giver

Likewise – when we cultivate good spiritual health our spirit is in health— and we exhibit the signs or fruit of spiritual health: love, joy, peace, patience, etc…

The Bible says, “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit” (3 John 1:2).

The warning from my Heart Monitor (the Holy Spirit) had been dinging loudly. I knew it. I could hear it. I could feel it physically, mentally and spiritually. Most days, all I could muster the energy to say to God was, please help me. Please help me sleep. Please help me be there for my dying friend. Please help me take care of my dying puppy. Please help me at work. Please help me be a devoted wife in all of this. Please help me breathe. Please help me, Lord God, Abba Father!

And he did.

By the way, “Father, Help me,” is a complete prayer; the kind of prayer the Lord loves to hear us speak every day.

Though my heart had been so heavy in a 5-month season of hard stuff, and I felt more tethered to heartache than to joy, the Lord sweetly reminded me that it’s all the joy I’d been cultivating throughout my life in my relationship with Him that had filled up my joy resources to sustain me in the hard aches and heartaches.

Jesus said, I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:11, NLT).

Begs the question: What did Jesus tell them?

He told them this: Abide in my love. Keep my commands.

Abide; for a Christ-follower it’s one of the most important words and commands that we can understand and live because it’s critical to living out our faith in Christ in everyday life, and “bearing fruit that lasts.”

Abide means to dwell, to remain, to live in… or make your home in. It describes a close, personal relationship with Jesus; one that cultivates a deep connection of intimacy… the kind of that plumbs the depths of the Spirit in us, bringing up buckets of joy, love, peace, patience, etc. Not just a little splash of joy here and there to get by with; but overflowing joy in the midst of the hardness of life. (More on this next week.)

Something to Think About

What did JOY look like for you this week?

The pleasures, the joys and glories of this earthly are only little glimmers of heaven; they pale in comparison to the indescribable, unimaginable things God has planned for those of us who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9, my paraphrase). But these earthly things we enjoy and delight in are, in a way, preparation for what awaits us; giving us not merely an anticipation of what’s to come, but focusing our eyes, mind, and heart on the Joy-Giver Himself.

Each moment, taste, sight, sound…especially the most ordinary of experiences that brings us joy, is to be for us a beautiful reminder of God.

One More Thing

Cultivate Jesus—grow Jesus in your life, and you will cultivate joie de vivre!

We live in the direction of our thoughts. What the mind thinks, the body will follow. I’m a believer that one has to be intentional about cultivating joy as a regular “spiritual health” practice in everyday life. For me, it starts with “Help me, Lord…” and then being with Him; making the time and taking time to listen to His voice in His word, filling my mind with His thoughts, so that His Word abides in me (John 15:7); and then being intentional to live it out.

Joy has a name: JESUS! When we live an abiding life, cultivating and growing deeper and deeper in our intimacy with Jesus, we aren’t the ones bringing up the joy. He is! He is the Source of our Joy! He is the Joy-Giver! Jesus is where joy is found!

Please share your joy with me… the kind of joie de vivre we’ve been talking about. I’d love to know how Jesus is showing you His joy these days! I’d love to share it 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♥️