Dexter-Hardin United Methodist Church

Newsletter

Joy In the Morning

Bishop Dick Wills’ August 14, 2007 journal entry

S: John 16: 22
So with you:  Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you
will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

O:  Even in hard times, the Lord comes to us and gives us a joy no one
can take away.

A:  This morning I can remember some very hard times in ministry.  The
more personal I felt the pain, the more I did not feel the presence of
the Lord with me.  You would think I would have fallen away from faith.
In fact, before I started reading scripture each morning for more than
just writing a sermon, I did feel the Lord was absent.

Here is what reading scripture has taught me about personal suffering.
In my hardest times, especially with physical pain, when I felt the
absence of the Lord, I knew from scripture the Lord had not left me
alone in my suffering.  When I did not have the energy to pray, I knew
the Lord understood and I also knew others were praying for me.  I have
learned the presence of the Lord does not depend on my feelings.

When in suffering times I know the Lord is with me because the scripture
tells me not to depend on my own feelings.  The Lord has given me a joy
which is deep in my soul.  When my suffering lessons, the joy comes pouring
out of my soul.  Nothing can take away the joy I have found in choosing to
be a follower of Jesus.  Even in the hardest times of personal pain, the joy
is deep within me even though, at the moment, I do not seem to recognize it.
I believe the joy comes as one who has given my life to becoming a fully
devoted follower of Jesus.

I have just come through a time of personal pain.  As the pain has gone away,
I have felt the joy deep within me come pouring out.  I am so grateful, this
morning, to be a follower of Jesus and I ask the Lord just to allow me to be
part of what he is blessing.

It is true: no one can take away my joy I have found as a follower of Jesus.

P:  Father thank you for walking through this recent time of pain.  Thank you
for the joy of being allowed to be a follower of your Son, Jesus the Christ.
Thank you for the joy which overflows in my being this morning. Love,   Dick

Y:  I yield my despair and pain because I know there is a joy deep within me
which will bubble into my present time.