Al Cashion: Young Joy – Wisdom Joy
(An email to my daughters sometime back after a little talk with God on their behalf.)
Hi, Jennifer, Amy and Erin.
I learned something about you guys this morning.
I was talking with God and your names came up … That happens a lot lately.
I said that I wished … “I wished that they could get back the joy they had when they were young.”
God said, “The season for Young Joy has passed in their life.”
“Why?” I asked.
“They had that joy in abundance when they were your little girls and I gave them Young Joy in abundance.”
“Yes” I said. “Yes you did. And that gift to them was a big gift for Joanie and I. I haven’t said thank you enough for that, have I?”
“In words, not so much.” He said. “But every moment you celebrated their lives and remembered that I gave them to you, I was a proud father too.”
“Father, … I miss them having that Young Joy … when they laughed so easy. Erin laughed completely. She would giggle till she almost peed … Oh, Sorry.”
“I laughed when she giggled till she peed her pants too.” God said.
“Remember the first time I saw Jennifer’s eyes light up at a boy?”
“Yeah. Yes I do.”
“I was half furious, half laughing and half scared.”
“One hundred fifty percent of mixed emotions.” He said
I didn’t get it. I moved on.
“Father … do you remember the time I was going to take off Amy’s training wheels? She was scared to death. She saw the wrench in my hand and took off down W. Second St. like a bat outta he … Dang! I’m sorry… again.”
“She DID take off like a bat outta hell, didn’t she.” God said.
We both laughed.
“She didn’t realize but I had them up so high they weren’t touching the ground anyway.”
“No, they weren’t.” God said “I do things like that too, for all my children. Many times. Sometimes you think the things you are leaning on are what is holding you up.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Think about it.” He said.
“I will….. I think.”
“So…” I said, knowing I had just missed something, “They don’t have to be little again. I just want to see that Young Joy again. I want them to wake without a care and burst at their day knowing there are magical treasures waiting for them.
“Young Joy God….. Can’t they have some Young Joy again?”
He began to teach…
“Wisdom Joy is a hot loaf of fresh baked bread, kneaded with your hands, the flour scattered everywhere, sweating from the labor and then placing in the oven and the misshapen mess withdrawn and tossed for want of yeast.
‘I forgot the yeast!’ Some time passes while fit pitching and then…
“At first you did not succeed so you tried, tried again. … and again. Until finally you withdrew a warm golden brown loaf, pulled off a piece and put unhealthy amounts of pure butter on it. You melted in the chair as the butter melted on the fresh baked bread. That’s Wisdom Joy.
“Young Joy is Birthday cake. Someone else made it and they made it look amazing. They put your name on it. They lit the candles and sang just for you. You get the first piece and you can have as big of piece as you want. That’s Young joy.”
“Wisdom Joy sometimes has pain, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Wisdom Joy has …”
“All the characteristics of love” He interrupted. “Wisdom Joy is patient and kind. Wisdom Joy is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude.”
“That’s the 1 Corinthians 13 Love passage,” I said rather proudly.
“Yes” He said, continuing … “Wisdom Joy does not demand its own way. It isn’t irritable.
“Wisdom Joy does not hold the sins that hurt them yesterday against the sinner today. But they learn from it. Wisdom Joy doesn’t get happy about something that’s wrong, even if it is an advantage. Wisdom Joy just wants truth to win. Every time …”
“So Wisdom Joy is just like love?” I asked.
“Just exactly like it”.
“I guess I never really put the two together.”
“Oh? Seems obvious enough.” God said.
“Well Father, I think I just seem to have some blind spots.”
“Like holding your daughters in your heart like they were still little girls?”
“Yup. That’s it.” I said.
“That’s one of them.” He corrected. “So will you believe me that the Wisdom Joy I bring them is the Joy they need now?”
“Yes, Father,” I said humbly. “You are proved right in your wisdom. You always are. … Thank you.”
“You’re Welcome”
“See you tomorrow?”
“I’ll see you all day today.”
“Right. Thanks Oh … and one more thing …”
“Yes?”
“Someday, could there be a wedding or something where we are all together and I can dance with all my girls?
“You bet!” I loved dancing with you and the girls!”
“They’re really good, huh?”
“Yes, they are. And you think you are too.” He chuckled.
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