Woman to Woman: Joy Scavenger Hunt

A friend of mine shared a little ritual she uses whenever she takes a walk. She never ends her walk without finding something which delights her.

Intrigued by the premise, I gave it a try on a recent walk. Sticking to a well-worn trail used many times, I was curious if anything new might catch my attention.

Instead of my normal drifting into a semi-conscious state of indifference while listening to my feet pounding the sidewalk, I intentionally remained alert. Engaging my senses, my wonder increased as I gazed about in disbelief.

When looking for Joy, endless possibilities await us if we only stay present to the delights around us.

Like handfuls of purpose, God places deliberate delights in our paths every day. At times in the form of people, events, meals, or even the intricate beauties of His creation. All waiting for us if we but take the time for noticing them.

Engaging joy in our days requires intentional presence to the moments we experience, rather than a hurried manner of getting through.

A Fruit of the Spirit, we possess joy as a product of our salvation. (Galatians 5:22-23) We know joy as the deep abiding confidence of God’s love and Presence even amid hardship.

But God wants us to also experience joy as we delight in Him, His creation and the abundant blessings hidden in our everyday moments.

As a way of remaining more mindful this summer, join me in a Joy Scavenger Hunt. Engage joy for a week, two weeks, or the whole summer! Joy hides in plain sight-all around you and looking for Joy is absolutely FREE!

Creating a Joy Scavenger Hunt is as simple as intentionally engaging your five senses the next time you walk the dog, drive to work, run errands, read emails, or relax in your backyard.

Journal Joy

Remember, any moment can be a joy moment. Keep a journal with you or sit quietly with your Joy Journal in the evening seeping in your joy treasures from the day.

Much the same as you use a gratitude journal, keep a running record of the joys you find within your day.

A few things I keep in my journal:

Things I see. Small and large, balloons on a mailbox, new flowers blooming, bright orange shoes, unusual creatures.

Things I hear. Favorite music, inspirational songs, kind words, comical words. Bird songs, crickets chirping, backyard fountain.

Things I smell. My favorite essential oils, roses in my garden, bread baking. The air after a rainstorm, fresh cut grass, potted herbs.

Things I touch. Soft, velvety flower petals, bumpy strawberries, cool leaves. Soft curly hair, smooth skin, callused feet.

Things I taste. Rich, smooth coffee, bubbly, cold Pellegrino, tangy kombucha.

Intentionally engaging my senses opens numerous possibilities for the delights God has incorporated into my days. He longs for me to experience and take joy in all His good things.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

Picture Perfect Joy

Uplevel your Joy Scavenger Hunt by creating a photo diary. Instead of writing about your joy experiences, snap a photo. Create a slideshow put to music, or a joy-filled scrapbook.

A few fun themes I like:

Colors. Pick a color theme and stay alert for people, things, even animals displaying that color!

Smiles. Capture all the smiles you see in a day, week, or month! Children, adults-animals! (I had a dog who smiled, for real)

Butterflies. Summer is the best time for capturing photos of butterflies.

Flowers. Any flower, or pick a particular type, roses, daisies, lilies…

Oddities. Anything out of the ordinary. I once saw a peacock in a wheat field and a six-foot stuffed flamingo!

Art. Creativity is everywhere, a friend’s house, your office, church, medical offices and downtown. Snap what brings a smile to your face.

Pets. What else makes us smile more easily than our beloved pets?

Have fun with capturing everything which “kills you with delight” for one whole week. You may find this Joy Scavenger Hunt addictive.

Intentionally looking for Joy reminds us God’s goodness greets us in the daily, mundane moments we often rush past. Mindfully embracing our days opens our eyes to the handfuls of Joy God places in plain sight.

No matter how difficult the day, God hides Joy within our moments reminding us of His unfailing love and constant Presence.

Ultimately, lingering with Joy found within our days, ushers us deeper into God’s Presence and His fullness of Joy hidden there.