Sharing

Mystery's Voice

Sharing

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-13:41

Sharing

The Infinity Joy Loop

Cindy MacGregor

May 17, 2026

My recent doodles have been infinity loops. As I pondered what it means to enjoy something, I extended that musing to consider sharing enjoyment with another. Might such sharing create an infinity joy loop?

Note. This image was created with Microsoft Copilot.

My Mysterious Mind

In my most recent message, I wrote about enjoyment and reflected on joy being filled into us through nature, nourishment of food and beverages, simple productivity, and being your own good company. As I considered these activities, all possible without the presence of another person, I contrasted such solitary enjoyment with mentally hollow amusement. But there is another level of joy possible, one that requires the presence of another person – sharing.

Sharing time in nature, sharing a meal, accomplishing tasks together, and just being together provide a far richer source of joy than enjoyment alone. This is possible because the presence of the other provides a source of joy; when combined, two people can create an infinity joy loop between them. Each is the provider and recipient of joy in this exchange. Sharing creates joy between two people. Joy is multiplied through sharing.

Consider a meal eaten alone compared to one shared with a friend or loved one.

Consider watching a movie alone compared to watching with a companion who enjoys the same type of movie.

After the joy of reading a book, a subsequent conversation with someone else who read and enjoyed it can deepen and extend the experience of joy for both.

And a hug, well, it’s hard to compare the joy of hugging yourself to that of hugging another.

Then there’s the saying, “many hands make light work.” This isn’t just an expression of an easier amount of work; it also speaks of the joy of working together.

Also, think about dividing something and giving part of it away. One dessert – two spoons. One dinner – two plates. Two coats – one given to someone without a coat. Such division of resources becomes multiplication of joy.

My time given away to the task of writing these messages becomes time that gives away to others. And, thanks to the potential of public posting on the Internet, sharing these messages multiplies my original investment. I cannot keep my time; it will pass no matter what I do. But I can share it, creating something that perpetuates.

The infinity joy loop. Between two people, each sending joy to the other, that joy becomes a phenomenon of exquisite beauty. What brought joy alone can multiple joy when shared with another.

Message of Mystery Acres

What a wonderful week this has been! I chose to take a break from my job duties and head to my beloved forest. My husband, our two dogs, and I enjoyed three days and two nights at Mystery Acres. We did some post-winter cleaning and took down two dead trees. In the evenings, my husband and I waited for dusk and the anticipated arrival of bats hunting for bugs. We were treated to a trio of bats doing formations above us! We shared this experience and now have a memory to revisit and enjoy.

I hung my hammock and was joined by our dogs. I was surprised, and delighted, to learn of their joy in hammock time with me! Oscar, usually fearful, jumped eagerly into the hammock beside me. Smudgie peered over the top to watch and listen for intruders. Fortunately, there is very little traffic on the private road nearby. I included a picture to share the joy with you.

Yesterday a friend from my previous university joined me for the day. She, whose father was a geologist, enjoyed exploring for rock treasures from the dry stream bed. Our joy was multiplied as each treasure we collected was shown to the other. Our satchels were heavy with rocks when we trudged up the hill to the lawn chairs for a picnic lunch. After eating, we dug through our packs and reveled at each discovery. This one has a fossil. That one sparkles and has a fossil. These two round ones are twins. The one with a hole completely through it will make a wonderful addition to the collection of similar marvels collected with her father decades ago. The color of this red one is so pretty. And so on. She was so overjoyed with the time we shared that, homeward bound, she called to tell her son all about it.

After two nights at home, my husband and our dogs are heading back to the forest tomorrow for an overnight stay with two of our dearest friends. We came home to shower, do laundry, and stock up. I have a list of wildflowers I found that I am eager to share their locations with our friends. We have meals planned to enjoy together and a pan of brownies to share. Everything tastes better when camping, especially when shared with friends.

The message of Mystery Acres is about sharing, finding the infinite joy loop with another. Whether spouse, pet, family, or friend, the joys of nature and food are multiplied when shared.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice

“You fill me with joy in Your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)

Like needy children, grownup humans tend to view God as a source of whatever they lack. Need peace? Seek the peace that passes understanding, the peace from the Lord. Need wisdom? The source of infinite wisdom is the place to tap. Need comfort? The God of all comfort has plenty to provide. And joy? The psalmist said, of God, “You fill me with joy in Your presence.”

We tend to think of our relationship with God as one-way, a one-direction conduit for whatever is needed. But what if our presence in God’s presence delivered something back to Him? What if our being filled with His presence also fills Him with joy of our presence? This makes sense if we think of how He spared nothing to restore us into relationship with Him.

There are hints of this throughout the Bible, though it’s clear the book is written for us, not for God. Consider the overjoyed father when the prodigal son returns home. Or what about the joy of the shepherd who finds the lost sheep, the sheep’s presence restored to the flock? And then there’s verse from Zephaniah where God rejoices over His people with singing (3:17).

I don’t mean to imply that God is lacking in joy without us, rather, as the source of joy, God is complete without the presence of His creation. What I am suggesting is that we receive joy from God, the source of joy, while also bringing Him joy from our connection to Him. This could be the ultimate infinity joy loop, an interacting presence with God.

When we are still and focus on being with God, that is time in the infinite with The Infinite. Matthew recorded Jesus saying, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.” Infinity Here. With us.

This infinity joy loop occurs when we sense infinity through a sharing of a moment with God or another person. We are being filled through the mutual exchange of presence. Sharing becomes so much more. Infinitely more.

Ancient Mystery’s Voice invites us to be filled with joy by coming into the presence of the Lord. Such filling also brings joy to the Creator, who longs to be infinitely connected with His beloved creation. Sharing presence with another creates an infinity loop, a completeness of joy.

Living in Mystery

What does it mean to live in the mystery of sharing, experiencing the infinity joy loop? It starts with recognizing that the fullness of joy requires a reciprocal process. Like alternating current, a return of joy must be added to the receipt of joy. The infinity joy loop has two halves, with each half being in an exchange with the other.

Thus, the full enjoyment of nature, taking in the beauty of it all, necessitates a return of gratitude for it. This reciprocation acknowledges the Creator in the creation. Listening to the joyful bird song, the joyful response is to be thankful for such an amazing sound. This elevates the joy of the experience, completing the flow of joy between Creator and you, part of the creation.

Instead of thinking about joy as a one-way process, ponder the inclusion of a second person, and possible joy exchange. To “complete the loop” of joy with another person requires a focus not only on one’s own joy, but also on the joy of the other. Sharing joy, not just receiving joy, transforms solitary joy into transformative joy. This infinity joy loop lifts the experience from the temporal to the eternal plane, even if just for a moment. Consider inviting someone into an activity you enjoy alone.

Anything that disrupts or distracts from the interchange severs the loop and decreases the joy. To be primarily focused on self, and not other, eliminates the reciprocal joy. It is human to focus on bringing joy into self, but, transcending our own needs, the infusion of joy into another is likely to come back to us. Sharing unselfishly opens the channel in the infinity joy loop. How fully do you focus on the other person when you are together? What distractions might be getting in the way of the reciprocation of joy?

Invite next-level joy by seeking the infinity joy loop of sharing. Have lunch with a friend. Invite someone to a movie. Loan a favorite book and wait for a future chance to chat about it. Sit in a hammock with a dog. Take in joy whenever possible but remember to return it so joy can be multiplied. Share with others and enter the infinity joy loop.

Connecting with Mystery

Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to being overly focused on myself and what I need, including what brings me joy. Instead, help me shift to sharing and to gratitude. Thank You for the fullness of joy You offer me and for inviting me into an infinity joy loop with You. Amen.