Joy Road

We live in a beautiful part of the world, Sonoma County, CA. There is a road west of our home toward the coast called Joy Rd. It winds from the town of Bodega up and over a ridge of rolling hills and redwood trees ending close to the town of Occidental.

A couple of weekends ago I drove out to the town of Bodega to follow up on an advertisement I’d seen for a big artists’ sale. I poked into a couple of galleries, enjoyed some art, but wasn’t ever certain I found the “sale”. My time and energy were drifting to a close so I got in my car and headed home. Then I saw a barn with a big sign. Maybe that was the sale, maybe not.

As I continued eastward I drove past the entrance to Joy Rd. Since then, I’ve been pondering that road sign and my desire to stay in a joyful place. How can we turn back onto Joy Rd when we’ve swerved into frustration, discouragement, or despair?

That morning around Bodega felt fruitless. I wanted to find the BIG art sale and spend time soaking in others’ talent as I pursue painting. Instead I wandered around wondering if I’d ever arrived. When our boys were young we took them on road trips most every summer. My husband was great about reminding us that the vacation started as we left the driveway, not when we arrived at a destination. This made each hour an adventure as we looked for ways to enjoy the journey.

Those road trips included hours of desert driving while we longed to make it to the mountains of Wyoming, Montana, or Canada. It was during those long hours that the boys discovered Morman Crickets (ew) and classic dvds like Lone Ranger or the Three Stooges, funny car games, good books, or how many gummy bears they could stick to their faces. Their favorite prank was filling an Oreo with cheese whiz and feeding it to mom while she drove!

Joy Rd here in Sonoma County twists and turns. You can’t see around the bends to what is ahead, and then the views become breathtaking. How can we keep enjoying the journey of today without having to know what tomorrow will bring?

I was encouraged today by Luke 6:21, “Blessed are you who weep, for you will laugh.” This has been a hard season in our lives for sure, with a lot of tears as we’ve said goodbye to loved ones and faced multiple other types of losses. It has also held new joys and laughter.

Facing metastatic cancer altered my perspective. Each day is more precious than ever before. Each boysenberry ripening, drop of honey produced by our bees, or new dahlia blooming is cause for celebration. In the midst of weeping there is still joy.

Psalm 30:5 puts it this way, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” I’m so grateful that the night doesn’t last forever- physically or figuratively. Each new day brings cause for joy.

As we continue on this journey of life, whatever hill, valley, bend, or straightaway we’re on, may we have eyes to see. There are reasons to rejoice, even laugh around us. Let’s not get too caught up in where we’re headed or what hurts that we miss the delight of today.