Third Sunday of Advent: Joy

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11

This is a picture of JOY.  Not what you expected?  Let me explain.

This is a picture of our Seeing Eye dog, Irwin.  We are fostering him until he goes to school in another month or two.  This picture was taken after we first got him about a year ago when he was seven weeks old.  Everyone is pretty happy and joyful when Irwin arrived.  But there was another type of “joy” we experienced as he became part of family.

Whenever I came home from work for the first few months, Irwin would run to the door to greet me.  He was always so excited that he would lose control and pee on the floor and sometimes on me.  I’m not sure if animals experience true “joy”, but it seems to me our puppy was experiencing uncontrollable happiness whenever I returned.  I don’t know that we’ll pee ourselves, but I have to believe we will experience an uncontrollable joy when Christ returns.

If you come from a more traditional church background, you probably will be lighting the third candle on the church’s advent wreath.  Today is the third Sunday of Advent.  Many people around the world will be talking about joy.  Today’s verse above talks about an everlasting joy that comes to those who take refuge in God.  When we sing Joy To The World at Christmas time, it’s not about the joy of a new puppy or a new baby. Christmas is about a joy that can only come through a Savior.  May you know joy this season in a new way as we anticipate Christ’s return.

How have you experienced joy this week?

Today, I’m hooking up with The Sunday Community and Fresh Brewed Sundays.  Hop on over here and here to see what I’m talking about.

(To set your mind at ease, Irwin doesn’t pee on me anymore.  We think he’s going to be a great Seeing Eye Guide Dog.)