JOURNAL=LET THE JOY IN

JOURNAL=LOOKING FOR THE JOY IN LIFE




“So this JOY of mine has been made COMPLETE” John 3:29


SOMETIMES-in the midst of ALL the suffering in this world-and in the SUFFERING-of our very own lives-we WONDER if we will ever FEEL JOY AGAIN-it feels like-”THE WHOLE WORLD is under the POWER of the evil one”(1 John 5:19)


YET we know-OUR LORD and SAVIOR-Jesus Christ-LIVED his life FULL of compassion and JOY-as did his cousin-John the BAPTIST-despite both KNOWING of the ends that they would meet-that is the way that it is-WHEN we are IN LOVE with God -and in love-WITH HIS WAYS-for we KNOW one day we will EXPERIENCE ETERNAL HAPPINESS WITH HIM


OUR SUFFERING is REAL-and it is terribly CHALLENGING-but -nevertheless-we FIND OUR JOY in God-for we KNOW that his PRESENCE and his love is REAL-and he is PERMANENTLY joined to us and humanity-through the life of his SON-JESUS CHRIST


DEAR LORD-you make OUR LIVES full of JOY


it A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a great day to feel GOD'S JOY and PRESENCE-even in the midst of our suffering












LOOKING FOR THE JOY IN LIFE




It is almost IMPOSSIBLE
To feel JOY
WHEN we are
In the throes
Of immense loss


In October of 2000
When my father
Had just died


I REMEMBER
Walking through the streets
Of Bellevue, Pennsylvania
With my mom
And two sisters


ALL of us
Feeling inconsolable pain


OUR WORLD
As we knew it
Had just ended


Seeing all the passersby
Walking and talking
Like nothing happened
I couldn't understand
HOW they couldn't see it
FEEL OUR PAIN


And yet as time
Has gone on
Little slivers of JOY
Creep in
And we go on


“BLESSED are you
Who are now weeping
For you will laugh” Luke 6:21


OUR LIVES will go on
And we will find
JOY AGAIN


Sometimes it is difficult
For those of us in tough personal-
Economic-and social conditions-
To BELIEVE
That we will have something BETTER
Than what we have now


WE will FIND JOY again


Jesus foresaw
HIS KINGDOM OF LOVE
He taught us to believe
In a world of JUSTICE
If we LIVE
With integrity
And become LOVING
In the ways that he taught


JOY is nothing less
Than FINDING HAPPINESS
Regardless of
Our state in life


AND I did
FIND JOY AGAIN
After my father died
And yet again
After my mom died


They will
NEVER be forgotten
Because along with God
They are RESPONSIBLE
For the VALUES
And the LOVE
That I have
INSIDE of me


“For the Lord
Your God
WILL BLESS YOU
In all your HARVEST
And in all the work of your hands


And your JOY
WILL BE COMPLETE” Deuteronomy 16:15


Look for the GOOD things
In life
And they will come


You CAN find JOY
In your life
Regardless of circumstances
BY LOVING GOD
AND LOVING OTHERS


And by letting them
LOVE YOU


Jesus wanted us
TO TRUST
That our lives
And efforts
Would eventually BEAR FRUIT


ALLOW GOD IN
ALLOW JOY IN
(Regardless of circumstances)


And you will find HOPE
And your life
WILL BE COMPLETE


Robert P. Wallman
October 18^th, 2014




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.








11-5-14
1-10-15