Embracing Joy by Barry Hughes

As I walked through the park this morning, it was a treat to come upon one of the hallmark images of summer: a kid running through a sprinkler on a hot day. I must admit, for a brief instant I was tempted to pull of my shirt and kick off my shoes and join her! But my schedule, as well as my concern for my fellow humans, stopped me from creating an image innocent bystanders would never be able to unsee.

There was something about the sound of the sprinkler tick-tick-ticking away in the sunlight that took me back to my own childhood. The cool water, the spray picked up and carried by the wind, the smell of wet grass, the innocence of a playing child’s laughter - what a powerful flood of memories! As I enjoyed this scene I could only think of one word: joy.

There are few images that convey joy more fully than that of children playing in the water. The simplicity and purity of the moment speak to me. They don’t overthink. They don’t watch the clock. They don’t worry about what is coming up next. They certainly lose their inhibitions and concerns about how they look or what people think of them. No, in that moment, all that matters is the joy.

Why do we seem to lose this ability along the way? Where do we seem to lose this ability along the way? I imagine that the road to such an experience of joy hasn’t really changed that much from the days of my childhood to these days of my walking. What’s changed is my willingness to seize those moments and be fully present to them, my ability to put everything else aside, just for a few minutes of the day, when joy shows up as unexpected as a ticking sprinkler in the park.

The Psalmist writes, “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” Neighbors beware! If those sprinklers are on tomorrow, look out! I might just embrace a little joy.

Peace.