Hope & Joy

There are certain moments where I feel like I could burst into tears with joy.  Not because something good has happened to me, or something works out in my favor - just random outbursts of joy.

As I was driving to work the other day, I had my iPod playing a random "Shuffle" of my "Christmas" genre music.  It was anything from Josh Groban to N'Sync (who, btw, sing a mean a cappella version of "O Holy Night!")  But back to the story - a Michael W. Smith song popped up, it was "Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah."  It is a song that has a huge orchestra, and what seems like a 500 person choir.  It is one of the most beautifully moving songs I have heard this holiday season - and the mixture of the lyrics that gave me such hope along with the masterful orchestra....it was truly ineffable.  This post really doesn't even make sense to you - because you have no idea what I'm talking about.  Ineffable.

There is such a sense of hope in the holidays.  Not because there are things to look forward to, but because the world seems to get smaller as we realize that there are others less fortunate and realize all that we have been blessed with - material and other.  This time of year, at least in this part of the world (which is all I know), there is a spirit of hope and glimpses of joy in everything from a religious experience, a song on the radio, a raw and honest blog post about prayer, or a good home-cooked meal.

This post is not trying to be inspirational and convicting - enough of that will be portrayed during the holiday season.

I was brought to tears by the beauty of music - and it is something I found hopeful with a replenished sense of joy that seems to fade at times.

What gives you hope?  What revitalizes your joy?