How have I matured relationally? This has been a long and often scary and painful journey for me. It has not been quick and easy and I still have holes to fill. I am sharing with you some key individual steps that freed me to be able to mature from a relational infant and child into a relationally mature parent and elder. As I mature I better relate to everyone! Life makes so much more sense and is so much more connected and joyful! This meditation is number 10 in a series.
This Is Key number 10: Joy … Glad to be with you! “Fullness of Joy” is delighted and thrilled to always be with you! “For the Joy set before Him He endured the pain of the cross.” What is the joy? It is the relationship that He is now able to have with us (me)!
I had never seen joy this way. It makes me want to mature! Joy is the only emotion that infants seek on their own. Our nervous system runs on the fuel of joy which delights in fully mature healthy relationships. “The joy of the Lord is my strength” means that the Lord wants to be with me and is with me, which brings me joy. That joy gives me strength in all I do! The same is true for me, but I have to be a mature parent in order to be able to endure pain for the joy of being with you .. Not just for the good times, but through it all! ……
Behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy….. Jesus has come to be with you! …… You light up my life, you give me hope to carry on …… Joy to the world, your savior has come! …… Joy to the world, To all the boys and girls, Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, Joy to you and me!