About 450 women, including me, attended a special program on Outrageous Joy today. We began the morning with scones and flavored teas, all served on beautiful china. After that we enjoyed a worship session, followed by a presentation by Glenna Salsbury, and a delicious lunch of pot roast, potatoes, and green beans.
The theme of our program was based on Nehemiah 8:10, which states “The joy of the Lord is our Strength.” Glenna did a great job of entertaining us with personal anecdotes while imparting her interpretation of biblical parables. We analyzed some of the parables from Matthew, Chapter 13. My favorite was regarding the pearl, discussed in Matthew 13:45-46. The main point was that pearls are all unique, and formed from the elements irritating the oyster. The pearls that are most valuable are the ones that grow large and polished from the flow of the water and deposits of sand inside the oyster.
Sometimes the irritations, tragedies, and unpleasantness that we face in our lives help us to grow into large, polished pearls. Sometimes they don’t. The people who learn from the experiences and trust that it is all part of God’s plan, shaping them into the kind of people He wants them to be, are the ones who will lead joy-filled lives. Those who focus on the problems, trying to solve them on their own, resenting the difficulties they must deal with instead of seeing them as opportunities to grow stronger in faith and obedience to God, will never be satisfied with their lives. They will miss out on the peace and joy that could be theirs.
If we want true joy we must look inside ourselves, not at outward circumstances. Joy is a choice, an attitude. We can change our attitudes, so it is never too late for us to find true joy in life.
I’m thinking I must be destined to be one huge, shiny pearl…
