Joy to the World

Monday, December 7, 2015
T.J. Piccolo

Psalm 126:4-6
And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

I spent much of my Young Adult Volunteer year of service at Room In The Inn (RITI), where I volunteered four days a week. Countless participants with different backgrounds have come to RITI for different needs because of different reasons, but the root cause remains the same. The number one cause of homelessness is because of strained or severed relationships. During the advent season, I think back to RITI during the time of holidays.

There were plenty of challenging moments. I worked the mail room in the afternoons. I witnessed participants burst into tears from mixed emotions when they would receive letters, cards, and presents (or lack there of) from loved ones who, for whatever reason, they did not get to spend time with during the holidays. I saw participants make numerous phone calls and leave multiple voicemails that would never be returned. They would stare at their phone screens many times a day, waiting, sometimes jumping if their phones rang, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t who they wanted it to be. I saw people with addictions trying hard not to use again to escape the isolation they felt. I saw participants frustrated with receiving help, fed up with the notion that they were of lower status, feeling as if they were merely the homeless who people thought to serve during Christmastime. Of course the moments I describe to you were seen throughout the year, but during advent, they were intensified, bigger, more repetitive.

Still, the holiday season at a facility that provides services to the homeless population isn’t always as desolate as the moments mentioned above. Even the grouchiest of participants would soften and sing along when the Christmas carol playlist would deck the halls through the speakers. There are plenty of groovy dance moves, tacky sweaters worn, hot cocoas chugged, candy canes devoured, and jokes with holiday motifs that were probably found on Laffy Taffy wrappers. There are people experiencing homelessness who access a positive attitude and choose to find community and celebration in and with each other. Participants at RITI can be so generous with their time and resources, especially during this time of year, and succeed in finding ways to give back to the Nashville community through churches, organizations, and events. I witnessed participants give thanks to God several times a week, thanking God for Jesus’s birth. Heads and hearts were in the right place, and the joy participants spread could be absolutely contagious.

Daily Challenge: Find a moment where joy is contagious, or better yet, be the person spreading the contagious joy.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to find and spread joy in life even when times are beyond difficult. Please strengthen our neighbors experiencing homelessness when they feel exhausted, help them to feel your comfort, and let them know that they are loved. Amen.