Meeting Joy Face to Face

Meet Joy.  One of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet.  One of the most humble and warm and sincere, too.  You would think when meeting her that she had a "good life", maybe easy, if not wealthy, at least secure and little stress.  Her English name really does match her personality.  But as Paul Harvey would say - you need to know the "rest of the story".  For in the past couple of years, Joy has truly found joy amidst circumstances that I think would leave me far from joyous.

Our pastor preached last week on the shortest (by Greek standards) verse in the Bible - not "Jesus wept" (shortest in English) but "Rejoice always" from 1 Thessalonians.  Rejoice always.  Not sometimes.  Not when things are good.  Not even most of the time.  Always.  Always have joy.  Not happiness (a feeling) but joy - a state of being.  Can I really "rejoice always" no matter the circumstances?  I have dwelt on that theme and on Joy's example for several days now.

By now you think "Oh, I bet she has cancer, or some disability, or some financial difficulty or her child died or her husband left her, or ...?"  Well, as a Christian and a mother Joy has what I personally think would be the hardest choice ever to deal with and remain joyful.  In her country, every woman is sterilized as soon as their first child is born (unless they are wealthy enough to pay a "fine" for possibly having another child).  Not her choice, it's the government's "right".  She had a beautiful, healthy happy son she was raising.  When she accepted Christ and began to live a Christian life her husband became more and more angry (the darkness hates the light) and demanded that she renounce her faith.  When she quietly refused to recant, he kicked her out - no place to stay.  And kept her son - ouch.  He has claimed she is an "unfit mother" and has kept her son from her both legally and physically.  He has given her the choice of staying with her Christian faith and not ever seeing her only son again or renouncing Christ.

And yet she "rejoices always", knowing there is an eternity ahead.  Does she have rough days?  Of course!  Has she continued to love Christ more and exude His joy?  Yes.  Please pray today for Joy's strength and encouragement, her ex-husband's salvation and her son to fully understand that his mother loves him enough to want him to know Christ more than anything else.

Rejoice Always.