WHOLE JOY

I've recently been pretty convicted over my lack of a plan for memorizing Scripture. Since college I just haven't done it much. So for the last few days I have been working on 1 John 1.1-4 (from the ESV).

That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life - the life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the father and has been made manifest to us - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you so that you may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

How was that? Are you impressed? I didn't look, or just copy & paste. I'm not writing to brag, I'm writing because today I worked on verse 4 and I was intrigued (an aside: while on missions trip a couple weeks ago the kids were talking with someone and they got this hotline for pickup lines. Our favorite was "I think you're ugly, but I find you intriguing", just thought I'd share that with you all out there).

Back to verse 4. I started thinking about all that the apostles had seen and all that they had heard and what they had touched and what they seen for 3.5 years and how that must have been overflowing out of them. It reminded me of when I was about 8 or 9 years old in Detroit, MI. Cecil Fielder was on this crazy home run tear and that year he ended up being the first guy in a long time to hit over 50 home runs. I think he also set a record for the number of times he struck out, but oh well. I remember that year going to try to get his autograph in front of a KMart. We got there right on time, but the line was so long and he only stayed for a couple hours so I didn't get the autograph, but I did see him get into his limo that pulled up very close to where I was standing. . I think my parents felt like I would be disappointed for not getting his autograph, but I had seen this guy who was my hero. I went home and told all my friends about how big he was and how strong he was. I was amazed by just being in His presence for a few seconds. I'd been in the presence of what I considered greatness and was overflowing with praise. I had to tell people, there was something about telling people that made the whole thing complete.

Today Cecil Fielder is washed up, fat, and a gambling degenerate I think. But that moment lives in my mind still. How much bigger must those years have felt for those guys in the presence of the Word of Life who was from the beginning who has no end and had no beginning? I think they would be busting at the seems with excitement, especially since there is no danger of Jesus becoming a washed up, fat, degenerate gambler. They had to write, they had to speak, they had to preach, they had to endure suffering, not because THEY HAD TO, but because IT MADE THEIR JOY COMPLETE! They did it for Christ and they did it for their own joy (maybe a little Christian Hedonism if you catch my drift).

That's all for today. Travis, our children's pastor is wanting to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. It's lunch time. Until next time "break me off a piece of that fancy feast...ya that's it" - Andy (from the Office, my Office joy will be complete on April 10th, oh how I miss it)