The Healing Power of Delight

 

Recently, my fiancé and I did some shopping for things we needed to move her from St. Louis to Austin.  On a whim, we decided to stop at a massive thrift store that had just opened up in the shopping center where we happened to be. 

To our surprise, we found some things that we'd been talking about getting to make our Austin house more homey, including some artwork that delighted us.  There were two things that contributed to our feeling of delight: that we were getting a bargain and that we could both visualize the artwork in our new place.  

As I thought about that moment, I started thinking more deeply about all the ways that delight can shape our lives, our outlook and even our spiritual growth.  

Delight is often an underrated emotion.  It's unexpected, joyful, and fulfilling all at once.  But I feel like most of us have a hard time allowing ourselves to experience it.  

The theologian and mystic, Thomas Merton, once wrote about the idea of experiencing delight by saying: 

“Enjoyment is the mark of maturity.”

There's a lot of deep theology in that short statement that deserves a reflection, and perhaps much more, so let's get to it.    

I think that far too many people move through life carrying quiet exhaustion in their souls.

Responsibilities pile up. The news grows heavier. Worries multiply. We become so focused on surviving that we forget how to delight in life. Yet delight is not trivial. It is deeply spiritual.

Psalm 118:24 declares, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Notice that the Psalmist does not say only the easy days belong to God. Every day carries the possibility of grace.

Thomas Merton’s words challenge the assumption that maturity means becoming perpetually serious. In reality, mature faith often creates greater openness to beauty, wonder, gratitude, and delight. Children naturally notice joy in simple things—a bird outside the window, rain puddles, a funny noise, sunlight dancing across the floor. Adults often lose that attentiveness.

I believe spiritual growth is not about becoming less childlike; it is about recovering holy wonder.

Jesus himself said that receiving the kingdom of God requires childlike openness (Mark 10:15). There is something sacred about allowing ourselves to laugh freely, appreciate beauty deeply, and experience joy without apology.

Delight heals weary souls. It recharges the light within us, and helps keep us grounded when worry, fear, and despair threaten to upend us.  

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is step outside and watch the sunset. Sit with friends around a table. Listen to music that stirs the heart. Laugh until tears come. Pay attention to creation’s beauty. These ordinary experiences reconnect us to life itself.

The sacred ordinary reminds us that God did not create humanity merely to endure existence. God created us to experience life abundantly, joyfully, gratefully.

Delight does not erase sorrow. But it reminds us that sorrow is not the whole story.  It doesn't get the last word.  

And in a weary world, that reminder matters more than we realize.

Prayer

Creator God, awaken within me a spirit of wonder and delight. Help me notice beauty, laughter, and joy amid the burdens of daily life. Renew my weary soul through simple moments of grace and remind me that abundant life is still possible. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What simple things bring you genuine delight?
2. How has busyness affected your ability to notice joy?
3. What might it look like to practice wonder more intentionally?