Unexpected Joy

They departed quickly from the tomb . . . and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:8 (RSV)

During one long trip, my husband and I stopped at a McDonald’s. I was tempted by the specialty coffees, but none were decaffeinated.

“I can give you decaf with a shot of chocolate,” the accommodating clerk stated.

His surprising words tickled my funny bone and perked up a very tired traveler. At the end of our trip, I told everyone who would listen. Some laughed. Some didn’t.

Unexpected joys often stick in our memories. Some memories fade, but significant, unexpected joys get told over and over again.

That’s the way it was for Jesus’ disciples. They saw him die on the cross. They saw the empty tomb, and they saw his resurrected body. They walked and talked with him—joys  so unexpected, they were impossible to understand. They had to tell the story over and over in order to get it to settle in their minds. Nearly two thousand years later, modern era disciples have the same reaction. We identify with the words of the hymn  “I love to tell the story because I know ‘tis true. It satisfies my every longing as nothing else can do.”

Some listeners do not respond to the story because, they think they’re able to manage on their own. Others listen because they look for answers, and others, weary travellers on the road of life, are still in awe as to the unexpected joy of Christ’s resurrection. More than a coffee perk up, the unexpected joys of walking with Jesus sustain us, motivate us, and activate us to tell others again and again.

Lord, Thank you for being the unexpected joy in our weary lives.

© 2012, V. Colclasure