‘Surprised by Joy’

Joy - as well as a fitting theme as we approach Christmas! - was the theme of a retreat we were invited to in October over at Kilmalieu inspired by CS Lewis’ writings. Kilmalieu runs various themed retreats and is part of the Abernethy Trust. A place of rugged terrain on the shores of Loch Linnhe. Having discovered it earlier this year, we have found it to be a place of great spiritual depth and richness. If you go, you may come home a little heavier than you arrived as, as well as nature, hospitality including home baking is a big part and it would be rude not to sample when the team has gone to such effort, right? Resulting in potentially same effects as Christmas really when you think of it! Advertising over!

‘An Invitation to Joy’

There was something about the title of the first session’ An Invitation to Joy’. They weren’t saying we would/should never find ourselves in a hard dark place - there’s plenty written in the Psalms about being there - rather that the invitation to joy is like a door we can open even when it’s hard and dark, about accepting the invitation to joy and actively look for it. Like keeping an eye open for 'treasure in the field’ like the story in the Gospels, for ‘the rippling of dewy sprinkles of delight’ as Lewis wrote. Also the invitation is to linger with the spontaneous joy when we find it.

Probably a few of us at least need to actively look for joy in midst of all the world affairs… Sometimes like the wedding at Cana, it can feel like we’ve run out of wine on the inside. Good to know we can bring our water to a loving God and then ‘taste the joy’!

‘The Joy of the Ordinary’

Maybe sometimes we look for the big things to bring joy. And forget ‘The joy of the ordinary’.

CS Lewis said: ‘How I love a kettle!’ We likely will never look at our kettle the same old way again!

‘What Brings Us Joy?’

There are many ways we each find joy - there’s a fun thing to do with friends and family over Christmas or any time: ‘What brings you joy?’ Then thank God for those things/people and linger with the joy they - and He - bring.

So as we approach Christmas, let’s put that kettle on and find much joy in the ordinary and keep an eye out for treasure in the field.

Have a Blessed, peaceful and joy filled Christmas and 2026.