Don't you just love Spring? My mother says it best, "In the Spring God renews and restores everything from the dead cold Winter." It really is amazing, less than a month ago everything seemed so brown and lifeless. Now everything has popped with zillions of colors! I can't hardly stay inside. Does Spring make you antsy to get outside too?
God manages to do something even more wonderful and beautiful inside His people. I remember asking Jesus into my heart when I was eleven years old. By that time there were already so many disappointments, scars and failures that I often wonder which path I would have chose without God in my life. At that time I was a very shy, withdrawn girl. I was desperately looking for affection. I still seek affection, guess I always will. My personality really popped once I had the peace of total acceptance from God.
Because God loved and accepted me I was able to love others even when they didn't seem to love me. Ironically, when you give love it usually comes back. Less than a month after I had accepted Christ as my savior I remember my grade school teacher calling my mother. She told my mom she didn't know what had happened to me, but I had turned into this bubbly little girl. (In fact, she nick named me "Bubbles" after that. Another name I acquired from friends & my church family was "Son shine." Both of those nicknames kinda stuck with me through life.)
I thought about the JOY Jesus gives after one of my college professors mentioned I seemed to "radiate" in life. Honestly there are probably plenty of times Mark could tell you I don't always radiate, sometimes I'm a mean & nasty person, when I let my sin nature erupt. But for the most part I try to keep the Sonny Side Up in life. There's absolutely no way I could without Jesus and the Bible in my life.
As I think about other believers I really smile. God has made a wonderful beautiful world for us to enjoy, but my brothers and sisters in Christ Shine more than the flowers and trees. As He keeps working on us, beyond imagination, He transforms us into awesome masterpieces!
"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created." James 1:16-18 (NIV)
If you're happy and you know it, thank your Lord. He's the only one who can give us true happiness and peace. No one can take it away unless you let them-but don't let anyone steal your Joy.
