“For you shall got out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (New King James Version) Isaiah 55:12
Joy is not an easy word to define, because our human tendency is to label it as a synonym to “happiness”, but it is so much more. The best way I can define the word “joy” is to tell you how it arrived in my heart this morning. I was volunteering at lunchtime today for our local Hunger Busters feeding program. We began this program in Liberty County several years ago, and it has provided lunches and milk to children during the summer months. However, with recent government restrictions, we can no longer transport food to the children, so we will not feed as many this year.
My friend and I showed up at noon today at one of the distribution sites, the local Scout Hut. The report there was depressing. For the first week, no children had come to this site. Since other helpers were there, we drove over to the Middle School, and walked into the large, empty cafeteria. Not far from where we sat, a single box with six lunches sat, untouched. Ten minutes passed in silence…then fifteen and more. We looked at each other, shaking our heads. No children would be fed today. But then, the door opened, and a lady walked in with two children. The room, once empty, was now full of life! We had two little mouths to feed, and we were happy. But, God wasn’t finished.
Minutes later, we heard the voices of children ringing through the building. Fifteen children were coming in! Soon, we were bringing in more lunches…two more boxes of lunches, and more milk! What joy!
Jesus once told the disciples, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
And so, I will tell you that I fed Jesus a sack lunch today. He sat next to the little red haired girl with a face full of freckles. And, as He watched the children and filled the room with unspeakable joy, He smiled.
Guest Blogger: Myra Smith
