LOOKING FOR THE JOY IN LIFE

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 18th, 2014 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M. 11-5-14 1-10-15 3-14-16