Got Joy???

Have you ever had something that was so important in your life and so big that you had all of this build up to it and once it's over you feel kind of deflated?  I have been feeling that way recently, I am at the what's next of my journey.  I honestly don't know what I am supposed to feel right now.  I mean I am happy for the outcome it's what I wanted right?  God came through in a major way but still I feel like I have no clue what to do with myself.

Have you ever been that expectant of God only to wind up with Him giving you an answer that you didn't expect or didn't really know you wanted at the time?  My daughter had that happen with volleyball.  At the end of the season she took a hard serve in a volleyball game and broker her thumb.  It didn't stop her from playing, oh no, she played 2 more club tournaments BEFORE she went to have it looked at.  Talk about tough, makes you wonder why we give up so easily right.  When God doesn't give us those answers we crave we just give up, with our hurt feelings and 4 year old pouts we stomp our feet and throw a fit.  We exlaim to anyone who will listen how unfair what we are going through never stopping to think that that there is someone out there might have it a little harder.  The difference between us and them is they still have their hands lifted high never once thinking that God hasn't given them exactly what they need.

Did you know that there is a difference between happiness and joy?  Happiness is just a feeling and it can come and go at the drop of a hat.  But joy, Jesus Joy, is a precious gift that does not just come an go. 

You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
— Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

Words

Words can make or break a person or situation.  We each have the power to change a situation but we MUST be careful because of the harmful side-effects our tongues can produce.  Words contributed to the death of my brother, although they were not true someone took a persons words as a fact and acted before they knew the truth.  But because these people had itching ears they only heard what they wanted and didn't pause to think.  It's sad right, how often we listen to rumors instead of remembering that God has commanded us not to judge others.  Only He deserves the right to judge us because he knows that we as flesh filled humans do not think clearly all the time.

It is kind of like a conversation that you have with your children.  You tell your daughter I want to meet your friend before you go out with her/him in their car.  To which she responds "you're ruining my life" we all have those conversations and if you haven't you will.  What they don't realize is that we hold their safety first, just like God holds ours. We as parents just roll our eyes and say "you'll survive".  What the kids are looking for is an explanation but to often we brush them off with vague words.

This is why He tells us not to judge.  My daughter is really big on saying "you don't know me" with that in mind how do you know what you are hearing is the full story.  You don't see every angle of the situation, you don't know where someone else is coming from or what happened that day.  We've all heard the following verse “Judge not that you be not judged.”  Words change things.

This verse is quoted whenever you step on someone toes. If you ever say that anything is false or sinful, I immediately think: “who are you to tell me?” Aren't you judging my judgement?  See its a vicious circle.  As followers of God we MUST be careful how we speak to one another.  Words for better or worse matter even if we may not think they do.

Eager for God

I absolutely love worship; to be so lost in the Lord that everything around me drops away whats left is just Him and me.  Today was no different for me, I was eager to meet my Lord, to have those few moments where nothing else mattered but Him.  Then as the sermon started I was on the edge of my seat soaking in all God has to offer, but I started to wonder why I am not like this all the time? 

Have you ever been to a service and just watched the people?  People worship the Lord in so many different and beautiful ways.  When I worship I am a little unhindered it is all out there and I move the way I feel moved.  After church is over Satan begins his work telling me I look like I am a fool.  Its sad really to allow those words to steal the joy I just had at being able to love my father wholly.

But what must it look to outsiders who don't understand and should it matter?  Should my worship be any less eager?  Am I about doing my fathers business by worrying about what the world thinks?  The answer to that is more simple than the question..........NO.  We are supposed to be different, alien.  It reminds me of something I told my daughter recently about dealing with friends that leave.  Some people come into our loves for a season and some for a lifetime the problem we run into is having lifetime expectations of seasonal people.

We have to remember God's not seasonal He is in it for life and that is the most important thing.  I am a firm believer in being a Jesus Freak and being so eager for His word that its all you see.  After all if you are chasing Him the rest of it falls into place according to His will.

Faith without works is dead, you can't just sit around praying you got to do something too. Be different stay eager.

The moments that take your breath away

I was given the opportunity to see my daughter worship.  This was no ordinary stand and sit in the right places kind of worship this was her whole heart on display in total surrender to the one who makes all things new and better.  While watching her I realized a few things.  I have placed a lot of things on hold telling myself that its ok as long as I have my schedule booked up and plenty of things to do.  But it wasn't just my writing or my friends that I have placed on hold while I have let the world rush around me.  I have been grabbing onto excuses in a feeble attempt to keep up and realizing there is no way that I can.

I realized that I have placed things, wants, desires above what is truly important in my life... My God.  What would it feel like to once again surrender my time, my schedule, my pain to Him and fall into that completely blissful moment where I know that without a doubt that I am going to be caught up in the amazingness that is His love?


Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter the Apostle Martyred in Rome, 65 A.D. 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV)

In Memory of Janet Detzel in your joy may you dance with the angels.