the greatest of these is love

sometimes i'm afraid that i forget the passion and intensity of His sacrifice. i was thinking about this when this amazing sister (man, we have been learning a lot lately, haven't we?) and i were (again) in the back of HComm, and she was (again) crying, but she assured me these were happy tears. because of His sacrifice and what He continues to do daily.

and i couldn't cry. i was a little numb. and that scares me. maybe it's because i know the end of the story - that He was resurrected and will return that i don't get overly sad. but why have i never been moved to tears of joy? i thought i was an emotional girl...

i got a little lesson on joy this week. dave and i had talked about joy a lot earlier this semester, and i'd never really gotten it, until i sat down to watch our Bible study video on Friday afternoon. it was the one i'd missed when i was in Nasville with Matt visiting Heather and Lindsey.

the objective cause and the subjective feeling of joy are completely different. sometimes, that subjective feeling just isn't there. in the midst of crisis, death, finals (yeah?), marriage mayhem, loneliness, etc., i sometimes just don't feel the joy. but it's still there - because a portion of it is objective. our names are written in Heaven, on the palms of His very hands. what greater cause for joy is there?

key phrases from this video were:

joy cometh

those who sow in tears now will reap with songs of joy later

there is joy to come that i can't even imagine

joy - a noun

rejoice - a verb

choose joy

choose joy

choose joy

hmmm. choose joy. despite circumstance, besides what's being thrown at me from this world, i will choose to recognize the objective cause for my joy. i will try to remember this during trials (that will come), and when i don't feel like singing, dancing, or clapping for Him. not that i have to be happy all the time. but i will try to be joyful. i think there's a difference...i just don't know what it looks like...

peace