Joy

Author © Scott D. Zachary

       I woke up at four o’clock on the button this morning, and I immediately pressed my activation button. My first thought was to button up a story titled “Joy.” Why so? Because the garment of my life is adorned with a myriad of shiny buttons. By that, I’m referring to that deep, inner euphoric twang that I feel when something pleasantly exciting has just happened or is about to—an event that fills me with joy. I often refer to these as “sparkles.” There are a multitude of past and present sparkles, and many yet anticipated ones to come.

       For instance, yesterday, I received an email from Pastor José in Buctzotz, Mexico, notifying us that the 245 reader eyeglasses had arrived. Bobbie ordered the assorted readers ranging from 1.00 to 6.00 magnification three weeks ago on January 30, 2020, and they just appeared in that little Mexican town where we’ve never been. Pastor José’s savory words showered us with blessings, gladness for our generous hearts, and gratitude. That inflates my heart with joy!

       This is one of many sparkles that festoon my reality. If you are interested in having a life filled with gleeful joy, allow me to sketch for you the foundation of my joy-filled life. It all boils down to a handful of blessings, some of which might come as a surprise to you.

       One of the greatest blessings of my life is alcoholism. Seriously. More specifically, my slog through the trenches of addiction to alcohol and my subsequent recovery. More than ten years of recovery from this disease has earned me a perspective that most “normal” people cannot truly appreciate. Most so-called “well adjusted” people do not feel the need to completely re-evaluate their entire lives and mend all the emotional wreckage of the past while being careful to not throw more garbage onto the heap. To recover, alcoholics must turn their lives inside-out.

       The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous spells it out with certitude: “Resentment is the number one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.” A person entangled in resentment has a slim chance of recovering from the addiction of alcoholism. Therefore, as a matter of life-and-death necessity, I had to honestly unearth, sift, and purge all resentments that I harbored toward anyone—no matter how insignificant some of them might have seemed on the surface. No more mental dues to be paid to those ugly goons. What freedom!

       A close second on my list of spectacular blessings is my bipolar disorder. Again, I’m stone-cold serious. This malady has opened up my life to extensive introspection. Many who have this disorder consider the forced accountability in the form of therapy that accompanies recovery as being intrusive. I’ve taken the typical oversight regimen and expanded it into my own personal cheerleading section to sis-boom-bah all the accomplishments in my life. Talk about falling into a pile of crap and coming out smelling like a sea breeze!

       Oddly, I’m also grateful for the blessing of not being overly handsome. My wife, Bobbie, says I am, and that’s all that matters. I’d hate for the focus of my life to be centered on the way my facial features are arranged. Conceit is a difficult god to dethrone. I had a hard enough time unbridling my false vanity. Besides, imagine growing old and watching the centerpiece of your existence progressively sag from the bones of your skull. Damn, I’m even more grateful after writing that!

         I’m not rich! Few would call not being rich a blessing, but I do! While most Americans lust for vast sums of money, and millions of them defy the odds in their futile attempts to become instant millionaires, I don’t want it. No jest.

       I’m incredibly grateful to my first ex-wife for contributing toward this third monumental blessing of not being encumbered by excessive wealth. To appease my ex in 1989, I resigned my commission in the Air Force. Another five and a half years, and I would’ve likely retired as a Major. With no need to work at 39 years old, I could’ve readily drunk myself to death, which I nearly did anyway. Then, after all my jewelry suppliers told me that I had situated myself on a direct path to becoming a multimillionaire, I dumped my jewelry store into my ex’s lap to pay the price for making her my ex-wife. What a favor—to me! All that money would’ve enslaved my life. Those were the two best shots I had at having financial security. “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, Oh what a relief it is!” Besides, God has blessed me with the desire to work and the ability to earn more than enough. That’s plenty!

       The cherry on top of my work ethic and financial wherewithal is the blessing of not being greedy. In my opinion, insatiable greed is the worst of all self-destructive addictions because our society not only accepts it but encourages and rewards it. Idolizes it. Luke 12:15 says, “Then he said, ‘Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.’ ” Furthermore, the international, award-winning author, Danielle Bernock, says, “Fostering a giving and generous heart will drive greed out of our hearts by the power of the love of God. Sharing is the cure. Giving and being generous.” 1 John 3:17 says, “If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?” I’m blessed to say that I’ve got that base covered. Giving away everything I own is my favorite pastime. Lifting the burdens of others around the world fills my heart with joy!

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       So, there you have it. All you need to do to build a foundation that cultivates joy in your life is become alcoholic and bipolar, trash your handsome mug, and give away all your money! Not quite.

       You don’t have to become an alcoholic to examine the facets of your life and rectify all the immorality, emotional bitterness, and resentments that spoil your otherwise positive outlook. I was blessed, though, to have been corraled by my alcoholism into cleaning house. Topmost is a willingness and desire to change.

       And you don’t have to be bipolar to submit your life for inspection. Find a good psychiatrist or therapist or pastor, and spill the beans periodically. Choose the frequency that suits your life, but be picky about who you select for your sounding board. You should pick someone positive yet frank. I’d recommend tapping a Christian. Be sure to prepare your “Accomplishments and Plans” list of bullets before each psychotherapy session. Be rigorously honest in this endeavor, and it will cultivate blossoms of joy.

       If you are uncommonly attractive, I don’t have any brilliant insights on how to become humble in that regard. Being praised continuously for something that you fell into would be challenging to minimize. Fortunately, I haven’t had to deal with that particular dilemma. Maybe your psychoanalyst will have some pointers.

       I was sincere when I said, “Give away all your money.” For some, that may be the most formidable proposition of all. A rich man ran up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The man didn’t dispute Jesus’s moral commandments, but when Jesus told him “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” the rich man went away sad. Parting with his money was apparently too high a price for eternal life.

       Recently, I told a lady that I’ve had a blast sponsoring water wells in India and Africa, helping to free young girls from sexual slavery in Thailand, sending Bibles and reader eyeglasses to Pastor José in Buctzotz, Mexico, and a bunch of other charitable initiatives like the Christian mission next week where our team will be conducting a dental clinic and performing maintenance on the “Missions of Love” medical and dental facilities in Jolivert, Haiti. She said somberly, “Not everyone can do those things, Scott.” Maybe not, but everyone can do some degree of those things.

       I told my good friend, Jeremiah, about that interaction. He said, “You don’t even have to spend money to give away some things, like when you tell a stranger that they have a beautiful smile. They carry away that golden nugget for life.”

       Luke chapter 21 recounts Jesus watching the rich men casting their valuable gifts into the church treasury, and He saw a poor widow giving two mites (small copper coins). “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” So, it’s all relative. Just give generously, and you will be richly rewarded in the currency of joy!

              For where your treasure is,

                    there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:21

       Applying these principles will assuredly elicit joy in your life; however, if you wish your heart to be transformed into an everlasting fountain of blissful joy, ponder the following scripture:

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:8-9

        Lean into the Lord’s will, and it will happen.

       Sitting here at my desk, looking out the window at the colorful variety of birds pecking at the crushed almonds sprinkled on the banister of our deck, and beyond that, at the tugboat churning its load of barges up the Ohio River, my soul is at peace. Joy.