Joy of the Word Ruth Smith Meyer

Many words describe various parts of Christmas.

“‘Tis the season to be jolly” one Christmas song instructs us.  But although jolly as in “jovial, cheery, happy, ebullient” may cover some of the reactions to the Great Gift that is the “reason for the season,” those words just don’t cover it for me.

 Joy is much more descriptive of what I feel. The thesaurus gives me more descriptive words—“happiness, enjoyment, elation, thrill, gladness, exultation and rapture.”  Yes!

As a writer and weaver of words, my response to that joy, is expressed in different ways.

For the last four years, I have compiled a Christmas Cantata for our community choir, using songs we’ve sung before and putting them together with narration I’ve written. In October, we begin to practice.  As we learn the various parts of the cantata, we not only work on perfecting the music, the words work their way into our hearts and ‘grow’ on us.  

The final evening of our concert brings it all together.   The lights are dimmed, the candles are lit and we share the message of God’s love being born in a stable, through the singing and narration. I see the message take its effect on the listeners.  There are rapt expressions, smiles, the odd tear and a feeling of peace. The miracle happens and my heart is filled with joy.

As the focus on God’s great love emerges with the approach of Christmas, my writing too, finds other ways to express the love that went to such great lengths so I could have a close relationship with him and he with me. My thoughts and my joy find their way into blogs, devotionals, short stories, new cantatas and poems.

One of the most satisfying of my writing projects gets under way early in November.  That’s my annual Christmas letter. Controversy surrounds these missives, but I have so many dear and treasured friends with whom I like to stay in touch—so I continue even as the dispute goes on.  Whether I get responses or not, nearly two hundred receive those letters either by email or snail-mail.  A few years when I skipped a few, I actually got calls in January to ask if I’m okay and to say that my letter was missed. When meeting friends at other occasions during the year, we have more of a connection than we would without those letters.  Thankfully more and more of my friends have adopted the same practice, and it gives me so much joy to hear about their lives.

When writing gift cards words are included to tell the recipient how they have been a gift in my life, or I tell them the gifts I see in them.

Place cards for our church Christmas dinner, are a nice way to help each diner realize that God’s gift is for them and they are a gift to God.

One year I even put words on pillowcases for each of my family—quotes that I felt suited them.  Another such quotes were arranged on my computer using different fonts and colours to emphasize the words.  Framed, they provided ongoing reminders of helpful truths.

Words give me much joy.  When I can pass them on, giving someone else positive motivation or encouragement, that joy is multiplied.

All that blessed joy stems from he who in the beginning was The Word.   Letting that Word live on                                                             through me is the greatest joy I can know or experience. 



Ruth Smith Meyer loves life in Ailsa Craig, Ontario.  Keeping connected to family and friends keeps her busy when she isn't pursuing ways to use her writing skills.   She's also always seeking for ways to sell her novels, memoir, children's story and multiple author books of which she's been part and accepting speaking engagements.