unexpected joy

Sunday, March 11, 2012 (8:15 a.m.)

Awesome, Amazing, Wonderful God,

You provide such joy in the most unexpected places. Thank You Father. People I don’t even know express their love for You over the Internet and I am drawn into learning more about them and their lives.

Watching from afar as they share their stories of faith and Your provisions for them I am awed. Awed and grateful.

(8:53 a.m.)

And right there I took a side trip to my own blog to look back at the last time I connected being awed, with feeling “odd”. Thank You that I get to have so much fun with You as I get more and more comfortable just being me in my own skin.

Thank You Jesus that You came to save us from ourselves. Yes. Titus 3:3-8a in The Message says its very well. “It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, He saved us from all that. It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives. And there’s more to come – an eternity of life! You can count on this.”

Father as I read and pray and think on these things, I thought to ask You to allow me to experience more unexpected joy. How much more I prefer asking You to allow me to BE an unexpected joy to others. Ah, yes Lord. Whether I am awed or odd, let me also be someone’s unexpected joy. Mm. Yes. I love You. Thank You for all You do in making us who we are. Thank You. Amen.

(343 words ~ 9:21 a.m.)