Finding Joy With Wild Horses

A few days ago, my husband and I got into the Jeep determined to find a group of wild horses that we haven't seen in a while. After searching with no luck, it was safe to assume that they had most likely headed back into the mountains for the winter.

So toward the mountains we went.

After a treacherous journey over rocks and streams and barely passable trails, we finally spotted some mustangs far back in the wilderness. Once again we lost our sense of time observing them in absolute peace and quiet.

As usually happens, this became a time of reflection on the deeper things in life.

The experience made me think about something I have been reading lately. Far away from civilization, immersed in nature, watching the wild horses and their stories play out, I experienced something far richer and more profound than simple happiness.

It was not only a sense that the daily worries had been replaced with temporary pleasure or happiness.

It was a more profound sense of contentment, peace and belonging. It reminded me that happiness is a much different thing than joy.

As the calendar pages turn to the sparkle and warmth of the Christmas season, we often speak of "happiness"— the wonderful, fleeting emotion tied to gifts, gatherings, and bright moments. This year, I invite you to reflect on joy itself.

The subtle difference between happiness and true joy is profound. Happiness is a response to what happens to us; it's external, dependent on circumstances, while joy is a deeper state—an internal wellspring of peace and contentment that exists regardless of circumstances. It is the quiet resilience that allows you to light a candle even when the storms are raging outside.

And this is precisely why joy is the essential spirit of Christmas.

In this season, joy walks

hand-in-hand with hope. The original promise of Christmas, that of a Savior, is not merely a happy moment, but a persistent hope that light overcomes darkness and that love is the central truth. When we embrace true joy in our daily lives, we embody that hope, sharing its warmth not only through holiday cheer, but in the steady, persistent, hopeful way we meet the world every day.

May your holiday season be filled not just with passing moments of happiness, but with the deep, unshakable foundation of joy!