"Joy Is The Absence Of Fear"

Last night before sleep, I read those words in the book, "Something More" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. "Joy is the absence of fear." Profound, true and teaching words. I lay in bed for a bit mulling over this thought and realized its so true. In my moments of joy, real honest joy, it is when I am so caught up in watching nature, that there is not the slightest hint of fear running around in my brain. I am not afraid of anything. No worry pokes its ugly head into those moments. My mind was searching for all I knew that was said about Joy and verses from the Bible came to me with a renewed sense of truth. John 15 says in verses 10 and 11, If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
And in 1 John 4:17-19 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

The pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit. When we realize that there is no fear in love, no fear in joy, we can find both, entwined together creating something much deeper than happiness, which is often so dependant on circumstances.

If you are a worry wort, if you are filled with fear over every little thing that might happen, you will never ever experience a lasting presence of Joy.

There is a little paragraph in the chapter I read last night that is very telling...."Imagine the scene. A woman arrives at Heaven's gate with more baggage than she can carry. " Why are you still hauling all this nonsense? " the angel at the Celestial Control asks. " You were supposed to get rid of most of it...." She then went on to say, "I know, but I could never kick the misery habit. It's a real drag, but misery loves company down on Earth. Besides if you'd been born into my family and married the four carbon-based life-forms I did . . ." Telling isn't it ?

Dumping fear is just simply letting go, turning difficult things into life lessons without holding on to them as "this or that might happen" moments.

Change the things you can change and don't hold on to the things you can't. Fear has no foothold in a life filled with gratitude for all that we encounter.

I think I understand now what James meant when he wrote in the first chapter of the book with his name...."2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

No fear in that.

photo from last year, no snow here yet so far