What a wonderful last few weeks, but today was just...well, lovely.
Adam got invited by a dear friend of his and mine who trains with him to come and speak at his church today.
This individual was the person who had to tell us all at the hospital the night that Windell passed that indeed Windell had left this world. He has been and continues to be one of the most spiritual people I know and leads with a heart bigger than he is.
In his own life, has has taken on being a power of example and taking care of himself being a great steward of the gift of life that he has been bestowed, and because of that, he, like myself, wants to share the good news to everyone...and there we were..sitting in his church this morning. Believe it or not, I just got to sit there and have folks point at me and smile! :) did not have to say anything. It was nice! LOL! Adam, however, got up and spoke. He did so beautifully. He shared a story of a man, early in his career, who had experienced heart issues at the gym, only later to have it revealed that with Adam's guidance, he was made aware of greater issues and had survived and thrived. Adam told that story as the motivation behind why he does what he does, but also as what should motivate each of us to seek out health and wellness for ourselves..to not go down that road where we have to encounter the issues that can stop our lives. He did an awesome job.
Then our friend took the pulpit. His message was one that was awesome. The text that he used referred to the removal of "palsies" and the bringing of joy" and it was joined with the passage in Luke we hear so often at Christmas when we hear of the angels coming to the Shepard to say that they were "bringing glad tidings that would bring great joy". What was so poignant for me about this this morning was two things: Joy and the delivery of and too the message.
"Joy" as it was described and shared is NOT a state that is passing. It is feeling, a state, a condition that comes into one's life that is sustained by and for greater purposes, but has the overall effect of creating a perspective. A perspective where I am no longer in a state of want..a state of anger...a state where I am more than and cannot feel, hear, and sense the needs of others. Joy is NOT happiness. I loved when he said that you can be happy about a new house, a new car, even a new partner, but the happiness will subside...Joy does not go away. I understood this so intimately and celebrate this, but what was so poignant this morning was relating this sense of "joy" to where I am now. Once I became aware of a power greater than myself, whom I choose to call God, became aware of gratitude, became aware of the blessings, the favor, the love that IS, JOY became what sustains me everyday, in every way. Joy is what IS through whatever heartache and pain I feel, whatever stress I encounter, whatever struggle I have. Joy is always there. It does not pass. I do not seek to be happy, I rather seek to sustain and be connected to this joy. I loved and love this! But becoming aware was only half and that is where my friend this morning really stepped up.
Here is the second part of this that I loved: to whom and who the message was delivered to in the Bibical days and how it is applicable now. The "glad tidings" at the time where delivered to the Shepards: at the time, the lowest form of life known to the world. The summarians, known to be "unclean" despised, and unworthly..beneth the gentiles. This is who the message from God was being spoken too! This was who "gald tidings" was being sent to. This is who Joy was being proffered and told to be expected!
I love this..because here in this text there is this breaking down of prejudice, this breaking down of hate and classicism, and racism....oh yeah...so many don't get it. But sitting in this service this morning, there was this loud and wonderful voice and cheers around me saying "who are the summarians today? Who do you need to go to and offer glad tidings?" "who do you need serve like your own God did?". "where will you get Joy?" if you cannot serve the least among you..but moreover, everyone that is among you with love just like what you are taught right here!
I was not expecting this this morning and it was wonderful! It was beautiful! It was about all I believe.
What I know of my life is this: that to have the Joy that is being spoken to, then I have to seek out and be a part of serving "the summarians". I have to break down within myself the notions that divide my from others. I have to want to serve others and be not hateful. The "palsy" of my own prejudices and judgements have to be challenged and I have to give, work and be available to hear, see, think, and feel for and with others. See he so clearly "got it"..what took me time to understand..that to truly have "joy" to truly feel that connection and that sense of my own higher power i had to give away the gifts, the blessings, the love that I had so freely been given. Does that make sense? It is so amazing. I just LOVE It and his challenge to everyone there to go out and be of service to be "the message" but also DO it!
I can sit here and type all day and "talk" about all sorts of things..but its what I am doing....
Sorry..it was just wonderful. So..I wish you all JOY! JOY! JOY!
Adam got invited by a dear friend of his and mine who trains with him to come and speak at his church today.
This individual was the person who had to tell us all at the hospital the night that Windell passed that indeed Windell had left this world. He has been and continues to be one of the most spiritual people I know and leads with a heart bigger than he is.
In his own life, has has taken on being a power of example and taking care of himself being a great steward of the gift of life that he has been bestowed, and because of that, he, like myself, wants to share the good news to everyone...and there we were..sitting in his church this morning. Believe it or not, I just got to sit there and have folks point at me and smile! :) did not have to say anything. It was nice! LOL! Adam, however, got up and spoke. He did so beautifully. He shared a story of a man, early in his career, who had experienced heart issues at the gym, only later to have it revealed that with Adam's guidance, he was made aware of greater issues and had survived and thrived. Adam told that story as the motivation behind why he does what he does, but also as what should motivate each of us to seek out health and wellness for ourselves..to not go down that road where we have to encounter the issues that can stop our lives. He did an awesome job.
Then our friend took the pulpit. His message was one that was awesome. The text that he used referred to the removal of "palsies" and the bringing of joy" and it was joined with the passage in Luke we hear so often at Christmas when we hear of the angels coming to the Shepard to say that they were "bringing glad tidings that would bring great joy". What was so poignant for me about this this morning was two things: Joy and the delivery of and too the message.
"Joy" as it was described and shared is NOT a state that is passing. It is feeling, a state, a condition that comes into one's life that is sustained by and for greater purposes, but has the overall effect of creating a perspective. A perspective where I am no longer in a state of want..a state of anger...a state where I am more than and cannot feel, hear, and sense the needs of others. Joy is NOT happiness. I loved when he said that you can be happy about a new house, a new car, even a new partner, but the happiness will subside...Joy does not go away. I understood this so intimately and celebrate this, but what was so poignant this morning was relating this sense of "joy" to where I am now. Once I became aware of a power greater than myself, whom I choose to call God, became aware of gratitude, became aware of the blessings, the favor, the love that IS, JOY became what sustains me everyday, in every way. Joy is what IS through whatever heartache and pain I feel, whatever stress I encounter, whatever struggle I have. Joy is always there. It does not pass. I do not seek to be happy, I rather seek to sustain and be connected to this joy. I loved and love this! But becoming aware was only half and that is where my friend this morning really stepped up.
Here is the second part of this that I loved: to whom and who the message was delivered to in the Bibical days and how it is applicable now. The "glad tidings" at the time where delivered to the Shepards: at the time, the lowest form of life known to the world. The summarians, known to be "unclean" despised, and unworthly..beneth the gentiles. This is who the message from God was being spoken too! This was who "gald tidings" was being sent to. This is who Joy was being proffered and told to be expected!
I love this..because here in this text there is this breaking down of prejudice, this breaking down of hate and classicism, and racism....oh yeah...so many don't get it. But sitting in this service this morning, there was this loud and wonderful voice and cheers around me saying "who are the summarians today? Who do you need to go to and offer glad tidings?" "who do you need serve like your own God did?". "where will you get Joy?" if you cannot serve the least among you..but moreover, everyone that is among you with love just like what you are taught right here!
I was not expecting this this morning and it was wonderful! It was beautiful! It was about all I believe.
What I know of my life is this: that to have the Joy that is being spoken to, then I have to seek out and be a part of serving "the summarians". I have to break down within myself the notions that divide my from others. I have to want to serve others and be not hateful. The "palsy" of my own prejudices and judgements have to be challenged and I have to give, work and be available to hear, see, think, and feel for and with others. See he so clearly "got it"..what took me time to understand..that to truly have "joy" to truly feel that connection and that sense of my own higher power i had to give away the gifts, the blessings, the love that I had so freely been given. Does that make sense? It is so amazing. I just LOVE It and his challenge to everyone there to go out and be of service to be "the message" but also DO it!
I can sit here and type all day and "talk" about all sorts of things..but its what I am doing....
Sorry..it was just wonderful. So..I wish you all JOY! JOY! JOY!
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