REMEMBER JOY?

REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE REALLY YOUNG...

And your life was pretty much a hop, a skip, and a jump from one joy to the next...

Born.
"Come into our world, little one."
"It's a boy!"

You left a tiny little world of quiet darkness, and entered a massive, terrifying, exhilarating world of light and sounds.

A world of discovery.

A new life of joy at every turn.

Smile.
Laugh.
Recognise.
Talk.
Crawl.
Walk.
Run.
Jump.
Leap.

Light, newness, joy everywhere.

First day of school,

First real baseball glove, a Rawlings, Roberto Clemente,

Skipping rocks in White Rock Lake

First time to Six Flags

The Sears on Ross Avenue Christmas window display

Sleepless nights of anticipation before Christmas morning, before vacation.

Christmas morning

Running with friends until your side hurt

Hide and seek at dusk

Roller skating on the sidewalk

Crawdad fishing

Catching tadpoles

Lightning bugs in a jar.

Ant farm.... (This is my list. You have to make your own.)

Sorrows, hurts all smoothed away and forgotten by the loving arms, hands and words of your parents.

Then junior high came, high school, college, marriage, life.
Darkness began to overtake the light.
Everything changed.
You settled for just finding what happiness you could find.

Anything to cover the pain of this ever darkening world.

UNTIL....

Second Birth.

"Come to me, into my world, little one."
"It's a son. My son."

You emerge from  a world of darkness, noise, and pain into a new, massive, terrifying, exhilarating world of Light, a new voice.

Joy waits at every turn.

Everything is new

There is a purpose to every sorrow, every pain, every loss.

You are comforted by the loving arms, hands and voice of your Father.

The Joy and discovery begins again.

EPILOGUE

You may still be trapped inside this dark world, scratching and clawing for whatever tiny bits of happiness you can find, looking for ways to numb the pain and sorrow that seem to overwhelm you.

There is a way out.
It's simple, but not easy.

If you feel the desire for more, if you feel the pull toward the savior, then all you have to do is yield your life to Him.

You will find His ways to be much higher than your ways.

If you do not have this desire, then my prayer is that you will.

Light can overcome the darkness.

FORTUNE COOKIE

"You are going to have a very comfortable life."

I remember, in younger days, when I would have thought, "Hey, that's what I want- a very comfortable life."

Do I?

Sounds cozy, protected, the good life.

A "safe zone?"

Sorry, not for me.

Every meaningful event in my life has been preceded by a quite uncomfortable life.

Mistakes I made, experience gained, all after extreme times of discomfort.

Deep depression led to the moment that I gave over control of my life, to the One  who made me.

What is life, anyway? Isn't life the whole range of emotions; joy, sorrow, pain, exhilaration, depression, contentment, longing, fulfilment, triumph, defeat, first place, last place, second place, (so close), heartbreak, love, separation, reuniting, broken relationships, restored friendships, getting hired, being fired, disappointments, God's silence, God's voice.

The comfort zone, the safe places, aren't really all that comfortable, or safe.

If you want to live, you have to feel.

Don't be afraid. You want to live, don't you?

Sorry, could I have a different cookie, please?