This one's for those who live in the warmer climates. (And I mean you, Danielle. ;)
It's been a cold January. It's been a really cold January. This is a picture from the local Martin's Supermarket parking lot. The parking lots and roads are ice covered, all laws of courteous driving are thrown to the wind, and everyone is most concerned with nothing more than getting home to their own warm house, or at least making it through the maze of slow-moving traffic to their own destination. You have those going a careful 20 miles per hour, and those trying to whip along at 40 and banking that they won’t hit a patch of black ice.
Yes, the world is a veritable frozen tundra, a wasteland. But what might amaze me most of all is the fact that it is sooo cold there is not a mattress, beat up old couch or defunct television to be seen around the Goodwill drop-off at the end of the parking lot. Normally you will find, at the very least, a three-legged futon dumped below the sign that reads "Do Not Leave Anything Outside the Goodwill Box". Now THAT'S cold!
Not to change the subject, whatever the subject might be, but did you realize that the word “joy” appears 96 times in the Bible? (NKJV) It seems that over this cold month of January, a certain coldness has also come over my heart. I’ve found it more and more difficult to find the joy, even though I have so much for which to be joyful. I don’t know why that is. I mentioned to Tim tonight that what I remember most growing up in church was hearing about being humble, long-suffering, a sinner saved by grace, deserving of nothing because of my fallen condition at birth. Some kind of worm, destined to search for a way out of this hole of guilt in which I was born. I don’t know that’s what I was taught, but it’s what I feel I was taught. Interspersed in there somewhere, I’ve been told that God wants me to be joyful…in a guilty kind of way.
So “guilt” is mentioned 38 times. “Sorrow” is mentioned 70 times. But I find “joy” mentioned 96 times in the Bible. Doesn’t that tell me that joy should outweigh guilt, or even sorrow, in my life?
So, I have decided to spend the month of February pursuing that word “joy” through the Bible, and just maybe see if God has something to tell me about joy in my own life.
2 comments:
brrrr ... that's TOO cold for me!!!
I believe it's in Ps 51 ... I pray this often ...
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and create a willing spirit to sustain me." ;)
Funny, I just left a comment on the 160 Acre Woods where all you see out her front window is miles and miles of snow, snow, snow. Ewwwwwww.....I have got to wear my sandals every day or I can't breathe!!!
The thing about joy, it is in the little things we take for granted. I recently bought a small 2008 leather bound date book. I keep it on my nightstand. Before I go to bed each night I write in one or two things that I was grateful for during the day. A little task which has led me to finding joy where I never knew it was...all around me. I hope you try this.
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