For the last week I have been on the lookout. Watching for signs of Jesus as I go through my day. It all started when I began the task of teaching my middle one how to drive. Pages and pages of signs...what they mean...what you should do with them when you see them. Some I did not even recognize. Maybe some of these are new? The next morning I am taking the kids to school and the signs just seem to pop out of nowhere. Signs that I had not noticed even though I have driven this road thousands of times it seems.
It occurred to me that I might be this way about Jesus too. The Bible says that Jesus is The Way. He points the way to God. I can imagine it is like the traffic sign with the arrow pointing straight up...THIS WAY! And so I have been consciously looking for signs of The Way.
It is a busy day and I am checking out a few items, waiting my turn in line. I hear the cashier talking to the lady in front of me. How disappointed she is that her day has taken a bad turn. How maybe it would just be easier if she just decided never to be happy again...then she would not be disappointed. It is my turn now and I smile. I ask how she is. She smiles and say fine and then she begins again. She tells me the same story I had already heard...how life has not been good. I listen and nod. When she finally pauses to catch her breath I say, "Happiness is often built on circumstances but joy now that is different. Life in Jesus...that is the place where joy is complete."
"So what you're sayin' is I need more Jesus."
We talk a while longer and I think about her statement. The reality is we have all the Jesus we will ever have...he doesn't come in parts. And this is a sign...a reminder of The Way. You see life in Christ is not about happiness. Happiness comes and goes. But joy...now that is another matter. Joy in the Lord is found in spite of our circumstances.
If you are feeling a little depleted in the joy area, you are not alone. When I feel like this I simply remember to give thanks. Joyless lives are lives that have forgotten the way of gratitude. So start a gratitude journal...make a list...write it down. The kids on Wednesdays will be doing the same. Listing gifts to be thankful for...all the way to the goal...1000 gifts.
