Joy and God's Humor

I believe that our God has an amazing sense of humor. I believe that sometimes He sits on his throne only to fall out of it laughing so hard at us. For those out there that think that our God is a stiff, let me tell you something that I learned recently and I want you to ponder this as well. Isaac is the name that the Lord our God told Abraham and Sarah to name their child. The meaning of this name is Laughter itself. Oh and by the way, God told a couple that was in their early to mid NINETIES - that's right...90's - that they were going to be having the baby that they have been praying about having. Not only were they told this but Sarah even laughed about it. Ok, now that we have a SMALL understanding of God's sense of humor let's look at my children and some of the things that they have done to bring light to the world.

My daughter, such an amazing little girl, has been asked what she wants to be when she grows up. Her response for a while was not that she wanted to be a doctor or a wife or someone successful. Nope, she wanted to be a Christian! How funny is this to hear when she just fires it off like she has been thinking about it for years. And the innocence in how she prays. Some of her prayers have never made me laugh so hard - not being disrespectful but just what she says. Like tonight she was praying so seriously about how Keegan needs us and he needs us to come get him and I mean she is SERIOUSLY praying and then out of nowhere she says - God, Delilah is so pretty and is the best bunny! Ok, some might not think this is funny, but if you had seen her face...So serious about Keegan and then also about the bunny. My God thinks it's hilarious. He was laughing and enjoying the beautiful innocence that HE created in my little girl.

Let's go to my son - wow - have you ever gotten behind a car and had someone drive it and try to catch it. Now imagine its a NASCAR that you are chasing trying to catch - that's my son. He is all over the place - like take for instance, today he picked something up and tried to put it in his nose and he cut his nose - then he starts crying and everyone is freaking out - including myself - and then he gets back down after 2 seconds of crying and tries to go right back to what just cut his nose. He will run around the house just yelling at the top of his lungs. You know, as I think about it I think he is full of JOY. He sometimes will be listening to music with me and just start singing. Nope, you can't understand a word he is saying, but it doesn't matter to me or anyone around him because he NEVER stops smiling. I mean it - NEVER! He always is lit up with a smile...he could bring Joy to someone even when Joy seems unreachable. He is exactly what Joy is all about. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. John 15:11 says "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full." So that your happiness may be made full. Hmm, this is why I love watching my son grow. 

Now - Let me ask you all a question. If James 1:27 says - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Then shouldn't we bring joy to these children. These orphans. Keegan is one of them. He has never experienced Joy but still has a smile his face in his pictures. How can this be. This is how. God has a sense of humor and wants His children to experience his joy - to experience His Great Pleasure and HAPPINESS!! It says this in the book of Galatians "But the fruit of the spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness." Fruits of the Holy Spirit. The things that God wants us to have in our life and experience. I am so happy that my God is so amazing and sometimes he can sit back on his throne and watch me, all while smiling at the mistakes that he knows are coming. The times that I may let him down, yet he knew I would and still forgives me. This is PURE JOY to me. 

Something that also shows his humor to me is the fact that I felt his calling to go on the mission trip to Africa, which I had to decline this year because my God had different plans. He wanted me to see some things that will help me in our fundraising process, but I know our hearts have been broken to go after Keegan and that is our "mission field" now. I want him to challenge me with people in Eastern Europe where my son is. I want to show them the true PURE JOY that they are missing. Pray for my family and if you feel a tug at your heart and want to know more or donate, visit our family blog at www.heygardners.blogspot.com. You can donate at this blog to help us bring our son home! Please follow me on this blog and our other blog as I will be sharing more of our stories and How you helped to bring our little one home! I pray that all of you will experience HIS JOY this week!