Another lesson on Joy..

Last week, God put the meaning of "Joy" on my heart something fierce! Everything I read, saw, listened to, reminded me of what joy really was.

We FINALLY got our bathroom shower-walls tiled ((after 1.5 years of living here!)) and I was trying to keep to myself- up to my ears in my Beth Moore study- which I do with Biblegateway.com.. Anyway, the tile guy walks by and says, "Now are you doing your homework or facebooking??" And I laughed and said, "It's my bible study!" Then this guy goes on to ask me if I'd read certain books and then he tells me the descriptions of some. This guy was a former youth leader, but had stepped down because of his busy work schedule- he didn't feel it was fair for the kids to have a leader who couldn't commit 100% of his time so he let someone else step in. We got on the the subject of the book of James! I have been studying that book for a couple of weeks now so I was thrilled that the Lord put this guy in my path to verbally talk about it with someone else! We were discussing joy and happiness and their difference. Then he went on to tell me of this AWESOME lesson that he had done with the youth group at his church.. I want to do this with the class I lead, now!

He brings a cake.. and other ingredients that are involved in the baking process.

He asks a volunteer, "Do you want this cake?"

Volunteer says, "Yes!!"

He hands them an egg.

Confused volunteer says, "No.. I want the cake?!"

He hands him a bag of flour.

A very confused volunteer says, "I want a piece of that cake!"

He explains, "This cake is made up of all of these little ingredients. Without them, you can't make a cake! Just like in life, there are all of these little pieces that you don't understand why God is giving them to you.. until someday when you look back and add all of those pieces together and you see the beautiful masterpiece God has made out of all of your little circumstances!"

GOD IS SO GOOD.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
James 1:2-4