Sharing Joy Completes Joy

Wanting to get my blood moving yesterday after hours sitting at the computer, I had to plead with my husband  to go for a bike ride. His day had been long and somewhat difficult at work. He was ready for the easy chair, but knew I would be returning to Wisconsin today. (he is working in Florida for 6 months and I am visiting) So after unwinding about a half hour, he conceded. We knew we would only have about an hour of sunlight, so once on the trail, we set a pretty good pace. 

On our way back we were headed down a hill, {to my relief} and he began to tell me a story of last time he was on this hill... He was "flying" down the hill at high-speed, and there was a truck parked on the path below him. He was pretty excited for me to know exactly how and where it happened...that he didn't slow down, but zipped around them successfully{!!!} I laughed inside at his enthusiasm, like that of a boy, and was reminded of the times I have been alone while experiencing something spectacular and wish for one to share it with. 

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:3-4

I gave a message at our youth event last weekend about our desire to belong. How when I was a child in school, I worked daily on our family farm and it left little time to develop relationships with friends. As a result, I most often felt lonely and undesirable at school. Feeling lonely is no fun.

I believe one of the reasons God chose to create us {man in His image} is to share with us the JOY of His glory. When I see an ocean and hear it's waves or when I am in the mountains of Montana overlooking Lake Mary in Glacier Ntl. Park, when someone is next to me to share my elation, my joy is made complete. And if no one was there to share the moment with, I would stand there with a longing to share the moment with someone. 

I love 1 John 1:3-4. It is the same with our relationship with Jesus. When we know how spectacular His love is...we just need to share it with someone to make our joy complete. Do you know it? The God who created the ocean and the mountains knows us by name, wants to have us in His family, sent His Son to rescue us? To learn more go here: Jesus loves me?

When you know and love Him, you will have full joy because: 

God has said,

   “Never will I leave you;
   never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5