Fulfilling Joy...

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay. Did you sing this song in Sunday School when you were growing up? It was a catchy tune. It was interactive. It made us smile when we sang. But what does it mean to have joy in our heart to stay?


This week of Advent is about Joy. So many people sent me messages last week about how hard Peace was to find during the holidays. At least Peace is something that we feel. It is comforting. But Joy. That is something that is expressed. Something that is shared with others. Something that can be seen and heard.


I used to love to watch my girls get excited about Christmas when they were little. I would dress them up and take them to see Santa at the same mall every year. By the time they were teens, he knew them by sight and would be so glad to see us. (yes, I still take them to have Santa pictures made.) We would plan the day after everyone was out of school We would go to the mall and take the picture and then shop. I would take turns shopping with each of them while they bought gifts for each other. We would have a big lunch and go see Daddy at work. The day would always make my heart smile.


Danny and I decided early on that we were not going to let Christmas get out of control with presents and stuff. We really wanted to make sure that the girls knew what we were celebrating and why. A friend told me that she only gave her children three gifts from Santa each year. She would read them the Christmas story and explain to them that baby Jesus received three gifts from the Wise Men. It sounded good to me so we implemented the same rule. They could make a list and ask for things but they would only receive three. Danny and I would talk about what the three should be according to what they needed or what they had been asking for. We always try and make it something special. Something that they would not have otherwise.


My girls still know the rule. They now send me their list complete with websites and pictures. Sometimes they star their favorites. But I noticed this year that none of them starred more than three. Sure they gave me the whole wish list but they know that it is just that. A list of things they wished they had.


They have never complained or felt like they were shorted. It is what they know. It is what has always been. They get their three gifts and they are full of joy when they receive them. They aren't expecting more. 


God sent His Son. A single gift that changed the world. Full of Joy. Full of Life. Full of Grace. A well thought out gift that gave us all that we need. All that we have been asking for. Something very special. A gift that gives us something we would not have otherwise. Pure Joy and eternal life.


We don't need more. He gave it all. Wrapped in a blanket.

Every good and perfect gift is from above...

James 1:17