Like love itself, joyful generosity is measured not by how much we give out, but by how little we hold back. It is the juice of loving justice, sweet nectar squeezed from the plentiful fruit of the Spirit of Wholeness. It is savored, freely showered and shared by those who know and understand just how much they are blessed. Their kind of blessing, however, has little to do with fortune, prosperity, popularity, or success. Its bounty is shared by those humble enough to know their own poverty, who are mourning and merciful, who are clear-hearted, peace- and justice-makers—those who have known persecution. These unexpected beatitudes uncap the well of joyfulness within, allowing us to revel in the simplest beauties of everyday living. Not to be confused with superficial or artificial attraction, beauty can be found in the smooth face of a child, the knotted hand of an elder, or the bravery of a single weed, breaching the concrete-clad desolation of an abandoned lot. Beauty is ubiquitous, though sometimes we have to search or even squint to find it. And we cannot live well without beauty. It inspires, it heals, and it is abundant. Joy-filled beauty escapes through the crack of our smile, the chuckles of a child, the skylark’s song, and the shine in our eyes. Like pain, beauty also blesses us by perforating our surface perceptions to open a skylight in our self-protections and preoccupations. This blessing power is a love-force capable of transforming how we receive and respond to whatever comes our way, and whoever crosses our path. May you be touched this day by the contagious joy of knowing just how blessed you are.
—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace
by Joseph Grant
