Let Christ Be The Joy

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey

Sandra@ibloom.us

One of the songs that many can remember from their church childhood is a song called “I’ve Got The Joy Down In My Heart”. There is a big emphasis on the word “joy” in this song. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” Children think of it as a finger snapping tune with enchanting lyrics. It seems the line of “If the devil doesn’t like it, he can sit on a tack” always seemed to bring smiles and giggles from the little ones. If you are unfamiliar with this song, please e-mail me at Sandra@ibloom.us. I’ll hook you up with those lyrics.

Music is a universal language and brings such joy, peace, and happiness to us. It motivates and inspires as we carry on about our daily tasks. Whether it’s the workplace, the gym, at home during dinner, we often turn to music to entertain.

I’ve often thought about what music soothes our soul. Is it blues or jazz or country or classic rock and roll? There is only one answer to this question. Here’s a hint: He’s an orchestra all on his own in our hearts. Our Christ in heaven is the music of our soul. He’s the one we turn to when we are in need and the one we thank and celebrate. Our Lord is the one who gives us our greatest joy deep in our hearts. If you don’t have this joy, let Christ be the joy of your heart. Your heart will forever sing.

In your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalms 16:11

Every Event Under Heaven

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey - sandra@ibloom.us

A few weeks ago, my parents called me with some devastating news. The home place of my paternal grandparents had burned to the ground. The family was devastated and saddened by this news. My grandparents lived there for about 60 years and there were so many wonderful times shared there.

The house was on a beautiful dairy farm and was serenity at its best. There were no street lights, no traffic. The vegetable garden was bountiful, the milk fresh each day, and “Mamaw” knew how to cook. There was a clothesline where the laundry was hung. The sheets on the bed after a wash smelled country fresh and is something that I haven’t experienced since I was a little girl. “Papaw” tried his best to teach me how to drive a tractor, which was great fun. As a game, I hit every cow pile in the field causing a really big “stink”. “Mamaw” could hear our laughter all the way to the house. Those memories will forever live in my heart. When the fire destroyed the house, we felt like we had lost a part of our lives. It was like losing those two beautiful people all over again and that pain was great.

My husband and I visited the ruins of the home the next day. It was very painful to see the home that I remembered as a child smoldering in the afternoon sun. The big oak tree in the front yard where we would rake leaves in the fall was scorched from the bottom of its trunk to the very top of its foliage. Thankfully, the tenant was not at home during the fire and that is a miracle in itself for which I am eternally grateful to our Lord. She lost all of her belongings in the fire and I pray for her courage and strength each day as she begins anew.

The Lord told us in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes that there was a time for every event under heaven. We never know what the future may hold, but must call upon our faith to guide us and give us power over hardship. We experience great loss and sadness during our lifetime, but we all must have hope that joy, happiness, and cherished memories will be greater.

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1