Find The Delightful

So, I had a visit the other day.

From Jesus.

No, really. Jesus.

I was sitting at my desk working, and furiously shoving frozen strawberries into my mouth.

I wanted a snack, but had so much work to do, and was so stressed about it, eating the snack became like work too.

I tasted only frozen blocks of lumpy fruit.

Then suddenly, everything stilled.

There was a small strawberry in my mouth, and I tasted it.

It was an indescribably glorious strawberry.

It felt and tasted like strawberry-flavored effervescence in my mouth.

It had the most intense strawberry flavor.

Tasting this little strawberry made me giggle, it was such a fun and delightful experience.

When the strawberry was down, I took a sip of water.

I felt this sip go down my throat and hydrate all over the inside of my body.

I really felt it giving me life and energy.

Then I realized Jesus was sitting with me.

Seriously, this happened.

I wasn't going to share with you, because how ridiculous do I sound?

However, I feel it important to share because, I don't chit-chat with Jesus all that much, so if he visited me, he must want me to share what I experienced, and if the worst is that I sound ridiculous, so what?

Here's what I learned about Jesus.

First I should explain that, although I was raised Roman Catholic, I never felt especially connected with Jesus.

The imagery in the church is such a downer. Jesus suffering on the cross. Jesus dying for our sins. I always found the typical Jesus imagery oppressive to my spirit and to this day I dread the idea of church.

Turns out, Jesus would like us all to know he's not a downer at all.

He doesn't want us focusing on the depressing parts.

He is very light and fun. It's as though he is the embodiment of "delightedness". Some saints, avatars, whatever you want to call them, are content and serene. Jesus is delighted.

As he sat with me, it occurred to me there's a lot of suffering in the world, and I kind of wanted Jesus to address it.

All I can say is, his very being said what he wanted to say. Somehow, he acknowledges that part of life but without being changed at all by it, and this did not make me feel separated from him as though he were aloof and just didn't care. It's not that he doesn't care. It's that focusing too much on negativity creates more negativity within us, and then outside of us.

Remember that time Jesus said, there will always be poor among us, but you will not always have me. Yes, we need to help others who are in need, but we can't let the suffering in the world become all we see. 

We want to change the world for the better. And to do this, we must find ways to help each other, but not focus on the garbage and the crap.

We must find the delightful. We must be the light.