When Joy Sneaks In
Here we are — the third Sunday of Advent. The Sunday of Joy. This candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes rejoicing because Christmas, the arrival of Jesus, is getting closer. Time to REJOICE!
It’s not the loud, confetti-throwing kind of joy (though I’m not opposed!) — but the kind that sneaks in quietly, right when we least expect it. The kind that settles into the cracks of our days like sunlight slipping through the blinds.
Joy has a funny way of showing up uninvited. It doesn’t wait for life to be perfect or peaceful. It doesn’t require all gifts to be wrapped, all plans to go smoothly, or all family members to behave at the same time. (A Christmas miracle all its own.)
Joy just slips into the room when you’re not even looking for it — maybe in the form of a child climbing into your lap with a grin and a, “Scoot over, I want to read you my Christmas book!”
Or maybe it arrives through a family member whose heart is running a little low on cheer, and suddenly you realize you get to be Jesus-with-skin-on for them. You get to remind them — by presence, by kindness, by a simple hug — that they are deeply loved.
And somehow, even if you don’t feel especially joyful yourself, God lets your love ignite a little joy in them — and a little more in you.
I imagine it was that way at the first Christmas. Life wasn’t calm. The world wasn’t tidy. Mary and Joseph were exhausted travelers. A manger was hardly Pinterest material. Yet heaven chose that moment to deliver joy in flesh and bone.
Maybe that’s what Advent reminds us — joy is God’s specialty. Not manufactured joy. Not plastic, ornament-aisle joy. But real joy — the kind strong enough to carry a weary heart.
On this third week of Advent, we light the candle of Joy not because everything is perfect, but because God is faithful. We light it because the Savior has come, is coming, and will always come into the places where we need Him most.
If joy feels “not quite here yet,” remember — God loves to surprise us. Sometimes joy isn’t a shout — sometimes it’s a whisper. Sometimes it’s not fireworks; sometimes it’s a steady glow that warms us from the inside out.
May this week of Advent bring you unexpected laughter, gentle reminders of God’s nearness, and joy that settles deep — joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances but on Christ Himself.
Because wherever Jesus is, Joy is already on the way.