“Exclamation Points of Joy” – May 16, 2012
My mother died nearly two years ago, and since then we have moved my father twice into a retirement center and now into assisted living in the retirement center. All of that has caused us to sort through my mother’s things. We have made a delightful discovery that none of us kids nor my dad knew: Mother kept a personal journal of every family vacation and every trip where she accompanied Dad on business trips. Those journals are very precious, because they help us to know what Mother was feeling and experiencing.
Here is the thing about those journals: they are filled with exclamation points!!!! Nearly every day of every trip she found something to exclaim about with joy, such as: The airplane was really big!!! The food was delicious!!!! The scenery for the drive was gorgeous!!!” On and on it goes, her journals are filled with what I would call “exclamation points of joy.”
That tells you a lot about my mother, and it also tells you a lot about how the Christian life is meant to be lived. Along our journey with Jesus, we can expect to find “Exclamation Points of Joy” nearly every step of the way. Is the journey with Jesus also filled with challenges and tough times? Of course! But the journey is worth it, simply because we are traveling with Jesus.
So, here is my prayer for you today: As you follow Jesus this day, this week, this month, this year, and this lifetime, may you find many Exclamation Points of Joy along the trip!!!!
Bishop Michael Coyner
