Pure joy

If I could write a letter to the entire world, I wonder what I might say. If I had the opportunity to write something that generations of people all over the world would read, what would be my topic? How would I even start? James had that opportunity when he wrote his book in the Bible. He may have not realized at the time that his letter to some friends would be read by every generation that came after him but with the help of the Spirit of God he wrote some of the most powerful words ever written.

Consider how he starts his book: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverence must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." That passage is found in James 1, verses two and three. Pure joy in trials? What kind of crack was he on? How do you find joy when things are going wrong?

As I have gotten older I have come to realize that there is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness comes with happy situations. You cannot be truly happy when your life is falling apart and crashing in on you but you can be truly joyful. I would love to tell you how I am truly joyful at all times and how my perseverence is finished and now I am mature and complete. I would love to say that but I would be lying. I'm not quite there yet. In fact, I doubt that my wife would use "mature" anywhere in a description of me! In fact, it is only after all these years that I am letting it sink in that joy is possible and that the knowledge of that is coming with the "trials of many kinds".

As every person who has ever had the title of "Parent" will tell you, it is a difficult job. Trials of many kinds come every day and I know that my job is no harder than any other parent on the planet. Like so many others I have the prefix "Step" in front of my title and that adds a funky twist to being a parent. Sometimes the rules get kind of blurry and the job description can be vague. Add to the mix a biological father and his wife who is now a step-mom and the relationships we all have with each other and my head starts to swim! Sometimes I forget to whom I am related!

Being a parent has taught me alot of things. I have come to appreciate my own parents more as I realize how much I put them through. A couple of years ago, my daughter told me one evening that she had a major project due the next day. She had known about it for awhile but waited until the last minute to say anything. So, with my wallet and a really bad attitude, I took off for the drugstore to buy poster board and markers for this project. What should have been my bedtime turned into a late-night visit to some place open twenty-four hours. As I drove to the store thinking up ways to express my displeasure without Child Protective Services finding out, my cellphone rings. My Dad asks me what I'm doing out so late and when I tell him he starts laughing like a maniac! "What's so funny?", I asked. He said, "Don't you remember how many times you did that to me?" It even made me laugh thinking about being bitten by that piece of irony!

Parenting is an humbling job as well. It has made me realize how selfish I am and how impatient I can be. Maybe that is part of what James is talking about when he says we can be "mature and complete, not lacking anything". If I keep facing these trials then my perseverence will make me more mature and complete and as that happens, James then says in verse twelve that "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial..." The Bible says that God will bless us if we persevere and I believe it. He has already given me so many blessings that I don't deserve including a wonderful wife who is a "good and perfect gift from above" as James also says in verse seventeen.

So I will continue to persevere knowing that when trials come it is an opportunity to be blessed if I respond appropriately. While I still can't say that I look forward to hard times I have a better attitude when they do come. It may not be "pure joy" yet but I'm working on it. I'm going to go say goodnight now to my daughter "Pure" and my son "Joy" and then I will thank God for them! I pray that God will bless me with another day to be there for them. I also hope that when they have kids that they wind up trying to find a twenty-four hour place too!