Abundant Joy

"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made in full" -- John 15:11. Jesus spoke these words to His disciples. He taught them to abide in the Father, because Jesus abides in the Father. He is the vine. We are the branches. When we bear fruit, we bring glory to the Father. This is where our joy is found, according to Jesus.
I am one of those people who often is accused of being "too happy" -- if there is such a thing! I was sharing a story with a coworker, and the punchline of the story was, "What happened here? I -- the white person -- happened here!" She looks at me and says, "Mary, I feel like that is the slogan of your life. You just happen!" Many times, this particular coworker would get to work before the sun arose. Then I would bounce in moments later ready to embrace the day, and I keep that attitude going the entire day. She walks around baffled at my energy. In college, I was always the perky one in those pesky block classes. And even if I did not have a block class (always first thing in the morning for those who are unaware), I was still up before anyone else in the dorms! I simply love living life with such enthusiasm for everything I do! It makes the less than desirable things more of an adventure when facing them with a smile on my face. I cannot say this comes naturally to me. To be completely honest, I am a negative person. Some people who only know me from recent years refuse to believe me when I say this, but it is the truth. I was an angry child. I dwelled in the negative, and lived life perfectly content in such an attitude -- after all, what good could come from the situations I constantly found myself in? When I was thirteen, I hit a point where all I could do to keep from drowning was embrace Jesus. He was the only hope I could find. He is the vine. I am the branch. I found my joy.
Now, life is not all bubbly like pink champane (An Affair To Remember -- oh Cary Grant makes my heart swoon!). Life on this earth is pretty miserable! We are trapped in a sinful world, where sin, death, and pure evil continually try to drown out any spark of life. I have been through more heartache than I would ever hope to endure. People I cherish with all my heart have turned around and hurt me deeper than they picture me hurting them. He is the vine. I am the branch. Jesus is the center of all I do. He strengthens me. He enables me to grow stronger and stronger. As I serve Him, I bear His fruits, which brings glory to the Father, where my joy is found. We have lost the meaning of joy. Joy is not sweetness and light -- it isn't a glass of pink champaine. Psalm 51:12 states, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit." Our joy comes from our salvation. Believing in Christ, and following Him with our whole being brings us joy. Once again, sweetness and light have been thrown out the window. Many people teach that once you take Christ as your Savior, your life will be perfect. I keep trying to find the verse that supports this teaching. All I can find is where Jesus states, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world" John 16:33. We will have trouble. We have been promised that if they treat Jesus poorly, then we need to expect to be treated worse. But take heart! Jesus has already won, and He is victorious. This is also promised to us in the book of Revelation. That is where our hope rests, and where we look to even begin to have a spark in our heart. He is the vine. I am the branch.
So I jet off to Uganda. I learn who I am, and my place in the Kingdom of God. I serve God in ways I never have before. When Jesus speaks of the vine and the branches, I finally understand! I get what it means to bear fruit, which brings glory to God. I find my unique spot in God's race. That experience showed me the meaning of joy. Days were long and the trials were never ending, but I woke up every morning with a passion in my heart. I discovered that serving God with absolutely no reserve to my own personal gain was the most rewarding act I ever encountered. I found joy in bringing glory to God. I discovered that my heart's deepest passion was to keep children in families. I realized God created me to see value in family, and He gave me an unsettling urge to see children be raised in families -- to train families to love and care for children the way He intended. There is no better reason to get out of bed in the morning! With such a grasp on my place in the Kingdom of God, my enthusiasm for life developed into an outright excitement over all that crossed my path. He is the vine. I am the branch.
Now I am in America, seperated from the passion I discovered. I am not in the daily midst of the broken families who stirred my heart and helped me see my place. I live in comfort. I can blend into a scene. I work AND get paid (how crazy is that?!). The way I see it, I have two options on how to deal with my new situation: 1 -- I can become bitter at this change. I can become angry at those around me, who simply "don't get it". I can let my world come crashing down around me, which will lead me to rush into another plan other than God's, and continue down this miserable road. 2 -- I can embrace it! I can take each day as a chance to grow into the woman God intends me to be. I can use my job to train me for the future. I can use the counsel of those who have gone before me to wisely seek God's guidance. I use my passions to inspire others. ... I feel like the choice is obvious here. God brought me back to America. He has uniquely placed me exactly where I am for a reason, and I will embrace that change just as I embrace the chance to serve Him overseas. He is the vine. I am the branch.
So maybe I am too happy -- my enthusiasm may run on overload sometimes. But I find life serving my Savior. I am connected to the vine, and I look to only bear fruit for my Heavenly Father. I have tested Christ's words, and I find them true. My joy has been made in full.