A persistent source of joy …

“Awwww, man! The jungle gym bars at my old elementary school are gone 🙁 ” was the post put up on Facebook.

It was posted by a mature man.

I smiled when I read it because I could relate. It doesn’t matter how many years later, there are things that linger in our minds and hearts as simple sources of happiness. In a world that only becomes more challenging and difficult as we grow into adulthood, we’re comforted by those moments of joy we have experienced in the past. Something as simple as jungle gym bars being removed can feel like a loss of a source of joy for others that we prized as one of life’s little, momentary delights.

That feeling of loss can be significantly deeper and much more painful when what is removed is more than playground equipment, such as cherished relationships. It’s one thing for playtime pleasures to come and go in our lives, but quite another when someone we love moves out of our lives.

Knowing how hard that can be, scripture assures us that our single greatest source of joy — Jesus Christ — never changes, and He will always be with us. We’ll never have to worry about our relationship with Jesus Christ being “just for a season,” but we can be assured that He is here to be the central part of our existence forever!

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am,” John 14:3.

In the meantime, remember that you are a source of joy to others. How loyal are you in being a consistent, positive part of the relationships you have formed? Would your absence in the lives of others be a loss, or would it go unnoticed?

Scotty