Sharing Joy

June 9th 2010

Today will be the first official day of my vacation!  I am heading off to go on a cruise with my step mom and step sister to Alaska.  Alaska has been on my list of places to see for years and when we talked about going on a cruise together this was the obvious choice.  Originally it was suppose to include my sister and my brothers wife, but for various reasons neither one of them could come with us.  So today I go to Salt Lake to spend the next ocuple of nights, then Saturday I fly out to Seattle.

On Thursday night while I am in Salt Lake I will attend a dance recital in which 4 of my nieces will play roles.  My husbands oldest niece, who is 16, has been asking for some time for us to see her dance, and I am excited that I finally get to do that.  Seeing another person do what they love is always a joy because their excitement and joy is contagious.  It is never possible to see someone get so much joy out of something and not smile.

So it is with God when He has given us a passion for something and we act on that passion.  He is pleased and joyful when we are doing what He has asked of us.  Not only that, it gives Him honor because we have given proper place in our life to what He has asked of us.  When do what God has asked of us others also see us take part in what we have a passion for and that allows them to take part in the joy we have, for that kind of joy is contagious.

So Thursday night I will have the opportunity to share in the joy that my niece gets when she is doing something God has given her a passion for.  That kind of joy can’t be replaced, for the best source of joy is in the Lord and knowing He is pleased with us.  When we have a passion for something the Lord has asked us to do, and we act on that, the joy we receive is often more then we expected, for we cannot comprehend the extend of the Lord’s pleasure in our obedience.  So I will continue to do what the Lord asks of me so that I can not only experience that joy, but share it with others.  This week while I am gone I will love well, and take advantage of the opportunities the Lord gives me to experience that kind of joy.

Today’s post is dedicated to the band Addison Road, who is currently out on tour with Sanctus Real.  They are being obedient to what God has asked of them.  Just today, March 6, 2010, they faced a huge obstacle while being obedient.  The RV and trailer they use while out on tour caught on fire, destroying some of their gear, all their merchandise, and the personal belongings of Jenny Ryan and baby Anniston.  What amazes me is the perseverance of this group.  This is not the first time they have faced on road obstacles, yet they continue to go out on the road facing obstacles in obedience to God. (Out of Gas, Interesting Night)

How many of us continue to be obedient when we face obstacles over and over again?  Do we give up when we face the obstacles, or do we persevere in the task God has set out before us?  My son is currently sitting in front of me telling me a story about the two Bioncles he has built,  He is telling me that if they were to give up after being attacked just once, they would just be allowing the enemy to win.  He said that we have to do the same thing when Satan does that to us, we can’t give up or we allow him to win.  Interesting he is telling me this story right now, just as I write this.

Addison Road has refused to allow the obstacles to stop them from being obedient to the task God has asked them to do.  They are facing the obstacles to obedience with the perseverance necessary to complete the task.  By doing that, they are refusing to allow the enemy to win.  Will we do the same in our tasks?