Blues Got The Joy

We've made it through another intramural volleyball season!

The Big Green Machine from our South Campus reigned victorious this year, and I will write to you about them shortly.

In the meanwhile, I'd like to tell you something I saw that has to do with the Blue Team.  The Blues had the JOY!

Now that's pretty interesting given that the Blues won a grand total of zero matches over the course of the season.  We're talkin' egg (Get it? An egg is sort of round and looks like a zero)!

How come they're happy, or even more, how'd they get the JOY?

It was the coaches.

Mr. Hank, Mr. Eric and Miss Mary knew that when the season started that they had very few players that could get a serve over the net.  They knew that only a couple of their team had much interest in the win-loss records of our intramural volleyball teams.  They knew that things more important than volleyball would have to become primary in order for their team to be successful.

They began to inject joy.  During one of their practices, I heard a loud commotion in the gym.  I got up to check it out.  What I found was coaches and kids laughing and playing hysterically together.  The coaches were shouting joy; they were assigning nicknames; and they were doing weird drills.  The kids were having a blast.  The players were bonding to these coaches, and the players were bonding to one another.

At their final match they came O SO CLOSE to winning!  But even in a close defeat in which they almost tasted numerical victory, they could look over at their coaches and receive "the joy." I call that a WIN!

Stuff like this always gets me to thinkin'.  I am reminded of John 15, you remember, the one about the Vine and the branches.  As long as the branches (that's us) remain in the Vine (that's Jesus), we will bear much fruit.  Apart from the Vine (that's Jesus) the branches (that's us) can do nothing.


As long as the Blues had the mindset and affirmation of those three coaches, they had the JOY.  


Jesus said, "If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love.  I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."


I call that downright awesome!  Let's pray about it!  Dear Lord, thank You for providing Your complete joy and unconditional affirmation to us at all times.  And even when things are not going how we would like, we are so grateful that if we remain in You, we can show the fruit of Your Spirit to everyone who 's watching.  In Jesus' name, Amen


Proud of you,
Pastor Wilson