"That your joy may be made FULL..."

These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full, complete, perfect. (John 15:11)

"When the poor receive the good news, when the captives are released, when the blind receive their sight, when the oppressed are liberated, who can withhold the shout of jubilee?" (p. 190)

This quote really cut me deep. I struggle so much with the discipline of celebration. I have so much trouble breaking out of the 'tyranny of the urgent' to focus on what is important and strategic and just celebrate. I try, but lots of times it just feels forced and hollow. And what I already kind of knew - but this quote makes unavoidably clear - is that the reason behind that is a lack of understanding of grace, of mercy, of who He is.

Sometimes I can hear Him say so tenderly - but firmly - "Pearl... Do you even know me?" If I really knew my Father, how could I think half the things I think - things about myself, about others, about God Himself?

In kind of a random way, this part made me think of Psalm 127:
Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vein. 
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vein. 


....Unless God throws the party, the party-goers celebrate in vein. We can't keep propping ourselves up on superficial, forced celebration for the sake of appearances. If our joy is going to be made full, we're going to have to be securely attached to the Source.

God, draw me into a deeper understanding of who you are. Would I know how high, wide, long, and deep your love is that I might be filled up to your fullness.

_________________________________________________________________



"Celebration brings joy into life, and joy makes us strong." (p. 191)

This one hit me like a ton of bricks too because I didn't fully realize until I read this that I'd had the implicit assumption that joy actually makes us weak. I had to think about it for a while, but then I realized that that's probably partly because joy also requires a certain level of vulnerability. This brought me really strongly to the image of John leaning back on Jesus' chest, and how much pure joy he must have felt in that moment. Take heart! Just lean back on me - it's going to be ok. Prop yourself up on me and let that be enough. 


Joy makes us weak [in my flawed thinking] because I don't trust that His strength is stronger than mine. I don't fully believe I'm stronger leaning against Him than standing on my own. But His joy does make us strong. 

"But how are we to do that? [...] The spirit of celebration will not be in us until we have learned to be 'careful for nothing.' And we will never have a carefree indifference to things until we trust God." (p. 195)

Rejoice in the LORD, always. I will say again - rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

"Far and away the most important benefit of celebration is that it saves us from taking ourselves too seriously. [...] Celebration adds a note of gaiety, festivity, hilarity to our lives." (p. 196)

This week (today, actually) I'm celebrating a full year of freedom from what I'm just going to have to describe as some pretty intense spiritual oppression. In a lot of ways, the enemy is launching a full scale attack, undermining the celebration: What's there to celebrate? Nothing changed. You're still caught in the same rut you've always been. Everyone else is so far beyond you - why can't you just get your act together? 

Luckily, that's where the voice of Truth inserts reality: (It's ok. It's over - the fight's over. None of that matters anymore. All that matters is basking in the light of your Father's face. Be encouraged!) Sometimes it's just harder to hear truth than others, but praise God that He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life - He not only speaks truth to me but lives truth with me.


So I'm not sure any of that hung together, but it's what He's teaching me. I pray that our joy would be full this week (and always!) because our understanding of His love, His grace, and His nearness would also be full and deep.

I love you, team!