July 29, 2018
Doing the Dailies
True Joy…
True Joy comes when our need for love is fulfilled and satisfied by our Heavenly Father …
We love watching our grands, now, just like we watched our own children years ago. Not a day went by that our children did not beg for us to watch them as they demonstrated a new accomplishment, a new sports skill, a dance-step, a daring feat off the diving board, or shared an art project, a discovered treasure, anything to capture our attention and then, to hold it captive. In fact, we began the tradition of the After-Dinner Show starring Adam and Christie! And now they continue this tradition, (common to most parents, I suspect) with their own children who are the stars of the show!
Our beautiful grandchildren repeat the script, “Paw-Paw, Digee, watch this! Look at me…” When they are all six together, they shout at once, “Watch me!” And, of course, Bill and I do our best to comply…to watch, to look, to see, to hear each one of them. And, yes, it is our joy, as the objects of their attention, to grant to each one of them their hearts’ desire…to be seen, to be heard, and to be celebrated. We enjoy these moments…and our grands experience a gladness, a triumph as they jump for joy!
The Truth…
The truth is that we all, each one of us, crave to be loved…to be affirmed, confirmed, encouraged, accepted, celebrated, cherished and loved. At the foundation of every human heart, is the yearning and the craving for love…all ages and all stages. This need is designed and created by the Master and Architect of Life, Almighty God.
And, we all know as wonderful as parents and other relatives are, including grand-parents, as great as peers and friendships may be, or spouses or siblings or neighbors…even if all of these people see, hear, and celebrate you or me, the craving, the hunger, the thirst, and the need for love is not and cannot be totally fulfilled or completely satisfied by people in our lives, as wonderful as they may or may not be. By His design, the Master and Architect of Life, Almighty God Himself, is the only One who not only loves perfectly…but is the One who is Love. It is His Great Joy to see, to hear, and to love His children.
True Joy comes when our need for love is validated and fulfilled by our Heavenly Father …
My very first teaching job was in a middle school in Waco, forty-one years ago. I had the privilege of teaching English, Speech, and Drama classes to middle school students. I loved their stage of life because I never knew who would walk through the door, the child-or the young adult; these young people were clearly in the middle of transition! One of the responsibilities I inherited was to serve as a sponsor for a Christian Club which met once a week before the school day began; the group was called, ‘True Joy.’ Although I was one of the sponsors, I sat in a desk in the classroom with the students who filed in early to begin their day. Mrs. Jones led the students in some of the most beautiful moments I can remember.
The students were from diverse backgrounds and cultures, many with challenging home circumstances. Instead of coming in and demanding attention as tweens often do, they came in quietly and quickly taking their seats to listen to Mrs. Jones as she shared a Christ-filled message of Hope and Love. During these brief morning meetings, students shared heart-breaking stories about loss and disappointments they had already experienced in their young lives.
Several of my students were regular attendees at True Joy. They began to show up at the door of my classroom on other mornings when they arrived early, informing the hall monitors they needed to come to my classroom for tutorial work. And of course they needed to come and see me! But somehow, the academics of the meeting were replaced by our early morning discussions about the love they craved, the attention they needed and the Joy and the Hope they were finding in their time with their Heavenly Father. They had discovered Joy and Hope in and for their lives which they had never dreamed possible, and they wanted to talk about it! In our conversations I heard them, and saw them; I listened and celebrated them; and these courageous and faith-filled young people taught me a thing or two about True Joy…
Although their young lives were missing some very important elements of family life, they had discovered the Truth about the God who loved them with His perfect and fulfilling abundance. They had discovered His Healing Love which brought them Hope…and put an inexplicable JOY, True Joy into their lives. They were then able to carry the True Joy, safe and secure in their hearts as they returned home each day to face the reality of their lives…and in many cases, great sorrows.
These young people whose lives had been wounded and broken taught their teacher, me, a very important lesson about True Joy! Yes, my friends, every heart calls out, at times crying out, “LOOK at me! See me…Hear me…Love me!” And, my students bore testimony to the LORD’s faithfulness, willingness, and His ability to be God in their lives, and they shared their JOY with me through their stories.
I learned and was reminded that no earthy sorrow can conquer God’s love. In the face of heart-breaking circumstances, the Joy and the Hope of the LORD are victorious! Tears of sorrow are always diminished by the JOY of the LORD, and in His perfect timing, every sorrow is healed! Our God hears each one of His children, He sees, and He loves…and He gives His gift of True Joy!
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11
This summer, as you Do the Dailies, and as you make your way to His Table to meet with your Father, as you whisper to Him, “Please look at me, listen to me…” remember that God’s Agape Love is divine, completely perfect and totally satisfying. His Love seeks you; He sees you, He hears you…His Love is perfect for you, your children, your grands, as it was perfect for my awesome students, and for my family and for me. And together, we will remember that no matter what we face each day, True Joy comes from our Heavenly Father’s perfect LOVE, His love we carry in our hearts!
Summer Blessings! And once again, I say…
Love you in Jesus!
