Finding Focus Friday: JOY!

"If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your JOY will be full." 

~John Piper

I will have JOY... It's not an emotion. 

"God will show me the path of life; In His presence is fullness of JOY; At His right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

So today...I make double dinner...and I shuffle about to get it to a friend who can barely speak to me anymore...who drools as I pretend I don't see...who gives me NO reasons to complain and every reason to be close...to share Christ with a renewed sense of urgency.

The focus can NOT be on me and my sadness. Giving me my own pain gives me a place to speak from...and a heart to help. So, I'm loving in the hard places. So, I will have JOY...I will "count it all JOY when I fall into various trials." James 1:2

I will bear fruit...because "the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness an self-control." Gal. 5:22-23

He speaks comfort to me..."These things about Himself He has spoken to me, that His JOY might remain in me, and that my JOY may be full." John 15:11