10.18.2004

and no one will take away your joy

Another minor for you: Rhoda -- not the sitcom, the narrative-carrier. In Acts 12, Cephas gets arrested, but for the second time in a short while, he gets a six-winged chaperone holding an orange chance card with no monetary value. In the middle of the night, knowing his plight, he heads to some friends' house and knocks.

Knock, knock.
(Enter our minor) Who's there?
Cephas.
(silence)
Hello in there?

No joke, no answer, bailjumper. Our minor is in action. She recognized his voice whether or not he mentions his name and because of her joy she runs from the door to tell everyone who was there. Imagine being so joy-filled you don't even open the door to the person who filled you with joy?

I think that's part of the lesson here. Still on the joy/trial ladder match (and still no countout), the caution is not to let the joy overwhelm your sensibility in dealing with the joybringer. Shutting him out to celebrate is the opposite reaction you want.

Lesson#2 follows. Though they questioned her sanity and her judgment, she kept insisting what was so. She clung to her knowledge. I imagine there's a deep backstory here between Rhoda and Cephas, how she grew up with a secret crush on him how she watched him fish with her master how she served him with extra width in her smiles how she missed him on his journeys with her Master how she was dismayed to hear of his capture but how she was overwhelmed by his escape and how when she was just then thinking about him and how he smiled at her that one time here comes this late knocking knocking who is it and just from the sound of his voice a voice she maybe carried with her for lo this many years daydreaming of a life together with the joybringer well no one could crush her joy or her knowledge of what was true.

The second lesson in there is yours for the taking. Hint: it involves you, joy, Joybringer, and unbridled affection.

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