From Charlie Gray

I had to reach deep last week for my JOY. I learned that a beautiful, dear friend of mine has just received a cancer diagnosis and is facing treatment. My heart is broken for her and her beautiful family. She has a great husband, two wonderful sons and precious grandkids. They all are long time friends of my family. We have enjoyed each other’s company for many years centered around our faith and following Jesus alongside one another.

I feel terrible and have derived no happiness from this terrible news, but I do celebrate my inner joy. Joy is a small word, just three letters, but it’s a big word in my vocabulary. It has been the cornerstone of my faith. Be reminded that joy is different from happiness. Happiness is an emotion responsive to circumstances. If something good happens, we feel a wave of happiness flow over us. Kinda a stimulus / response thing. Joy, on the other hand, is happiness beyond circumstances. Happiness comes from the head. Joy is from the heart.

Joy is an enduring sense of gratitude regardless of our circumstances. It is a God given assurance that whatever we are experiencing we have hope. As a fellow follower of Jesus, I know my friend has this joy. This is the path she is called to embrace. This perseverance will be the source of her strength as she navigates the bumpy road that lies ahead for her. She will be fine, she has her joy. Otherwise, her circumstances would leave her hopeless.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance" ……. James 1:2-3 is the source of that joy. Please lift up my friend and her family in your prayers. Her name is Sheri. She will be just fine, she has her joy.