When there is Joy in the sadness

The bible talks about the Joy.  The Joy of the Lord is my strength.  My the God of hope fill you with Joy and peace as you trust in Him.  It goes on and on.  The word Joy is used about 165 times in the bible.

So what is this Joy?

I have seen 3 teenagers I know personally buried in the last 6 months.  Last Friday we went to the funeral of Luke Gonsioroski.  There was over 1000 people in attendance.

Let me share with you a little bit about what I saw at this funeral.

I saw kids and adults file into a football stadium ready to honor the life of an 18 year old man who was an outstanding athlete.  I saw farmers and ranchers from the area there to support of their own who had lost a child.  I came into a place full of tears, sadness and loss.

During the week between Monday when he passed away and Friday when they buried him I read post after post on facebook about what a great kid he was and how very talented he was.  They talked about his fight with cancer and his great attitude.  They said what they would miss and how much it would affect the community.  His faith was mentioned over and over, but it was just part of the story.

Now, let me share with you what I heard at the this funeral.

We parked about 2 blocks away, we were there early because we figured there would be lots of people.  As we began to walk toward the football field we began to hear the music.  Each song told a story, not about family and life but about Jesus Christ.  Every bit of music was picked to tell a piece of the gospel message and describe a life lived for the Lord.

Although they mentioned the person who Luke was, the athlete, the ranchers son, the student, the cancer patient, the fighter, what we heard over and over was about his love for the Lord and his desire to bring others to Jesus.  Luke's testimony was given brilliantly to over 1000 people.

That brings me to Joy.  Please be clear that Joy is not happiness.  I was not happy at the funeral, but there was the presence of clear and resounding JOY.   Nehemiah 8:10  Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord if your strength.  Luke knew and stated often that he was in God's hands.  He knew were he was going and in whom he trusted his life and his death.  He also knew the importance of sharing the salvation message with others and it was very evident in the funeral service for this young man.

James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.