The Invitation

Have you ever had to choose joy? Have you ever had to really differentiate between joy and happiness?  Tonight..children are dying. Families are starving. Dad's are jobless. Hearts are broken. Nights are being spent in hospitals. People are without a home. Christian's are being tortured somewhere. And nothing about any of these situations would make it very easy to be happy. I would venture to say, we weren't created just to be happy in this life.  Jesus never promised happiness. Happiness is created by circumstances, but circumstances never stay the same. Circumstances hinge on jobs, people, money and experiences.

Webster's dictionary technically says that joy is an expression of happiness. I think that's bogus. I think Jesus would tell Webster it's bogus. Webster also says that "successful" is a synonym of "happy". Webster has lost all credibility as far as I'm concerned.

JOY, joy is found in truth. Joy is found in the word, and in the promise that Jesus gives us. The promise that says he will never leave nor forsake us. Joy isn't based on an experience, or a person, not on the things of this world because those things always fail us. Joy doesn't change. Jesus doesn't change. If joy were an expression of happiness, it wouldn't be possible for the girl in Guatemala who was raped and sold into slavery to share her testimony and say that she forgives the man who did it and that she wants to tell him about Jesus. It wouldn't be possible for the high school football community in Iowa to surround and forgive the family whose son murdered the football coach. It wouldn't be possible for the family who lost their son in a car wreck to wake up every morning and praise Jesus just for being big and amazing. It wouldn't be possible for those expereiencing heartbreak to choose joy.

I used to think of joy as somewhat of a wimpy word. It almost sounds like it's only for little kids and old people. It almost sounds cheesy. But I tell you, the little three letter world can change a morning, a day, a life. The word can change a nation, it can start a revival. It can change a world. It can baffle people, because it's a mystery to them. Joy provides a peace that surpasses all understanding, you can't wrap your mind around it.

The bible tells us, "The joy of the Lord is my strength" Nehemiah 8:10

So who are we? What drives our day? What inspires the 86,400 seconds we have every day?

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a foolFor love, for your dream,
For the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life's betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,And if you can source your own life
From its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone,
And do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself,
And if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.

This poem is called "The Invitation", and I love it. I love the picture it paints. I love the motivation it provides. It drives deep at my core and makes me realize that this world is broken, and at some point we are all going to experience being broken, continually. We are called to keep standing, to keep screaming praise at the top of our lungs. The bible tells us there is a time for pain and mourning, but it doesn't give you a pass to not praise him through this time. Slow down. Notice the people walking by. Talk to strangers. Smile at everyone. Invest in someones day, in their life. Speak truth. Praise the Lord for everything you see outside. Praise the Lord that you can see. 

When we choose joy, we recognize that God is in control. When we choose joy, we will experience Jesus in radical ways.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.