I have been thinking the past few days about joy versus fun. It seems like fun seems to be the quest of lots of folks.
So, what does the dictionary say about FUN: "something that provides mirth or amusement, enjoyment or playfulness. The quality that I observe is a fleeting nature. Mirth and playfulness rarely take residence in our heart or inspire acts of great generosity or courage.
For JOY the definition is "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure." Joy results from something exceptional and, in my experience, often leads to a passion for giving joy to others. While this generally leads to more joy for the giver, it is not the focus of the passion.
So, maybe fun is swinging our child at the playground but joy is tucking them into bed at night with a profound sense of gratitude that we can care for them tenderly. Or fun is an amusement park outing, while joy is a family gathering to celebrate the life of a beloved mother or the graduation of a child that struggled in school. Or fun is planting a garden while joy is sharing its bounty on our own table and with others.
Fun is a picnic, while joy is a feast.
So this is my wish for you each and every one: may your days include abundant fun and your lives be filled with joy!
So, what does the dictionary say about FUN: "something that provides mirth or amusement, enjoyment or playfulness. The quality that I observe is a fleeting nature. Mirth and playfulness rarely take residence in our heart or inspire acts of great generosity or courage.
For JOY the definition is "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure." Joy results from something exceptional and, in my experience, often leads to a passion for giving joy to others. While this generally leads to more joy for the giver, it is not the focus of the passion.
So, maybe fun is swinging our child at the playground but joy is tucking them into bed at night with a profound sense of gratitude that we can care for them tenderly. Or fun is an amusement park outing, while joy is a family gathering to celebrate the life of a beloved mother or the graduation of a child that struggled in school. Or fun is planting a garden while joy is sharing its bounty on our own table and with others.
Fun is a picnic, while joy is a feast.
So this is my wish for you each and every one: may your days include abundant fun and your lives be filled with joy!
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