This weekend I attended an awesome retreat with the Women of Grace from Grace Bible Church. The speaker, Pat Harley, helped us see Jesus as a man of joy. I've been dwelling on joy ever since. Hey! What a great thing to dwell on!
The theme of the weekend was "Taste and See," and Pat took us through many of the Gospel stories and helped us to taste and see the joy that naturally occurred around Jesus... because of Jesus. She did this not only by helping us vividly picture those events and people in scripture, but also by telling stories of her own life... in vivid detail, with heart-wrenching truths pouring out in real-life examples.
I have a tendency to forget some of the more heart-wrenching times of my life... to wrap them up in a bandage and tuck them away in my heart so they won't be exposed. This ministry is challenging me to unwrap the bloody bandages, reveal the wounds, and ask Jesus to heal them... so that I can encourage others to do the same.
Allowing ourselves to experience pain can be the impetus to experiencing the greatest joy. Let us all pray for one another, that we can walk down the road of remembrances that will help us touch the healer of our hearts and experience HIS joy.
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