Sharing Joy – December 14, 2019

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Sharing Joy

Anna Mary Robertson was an old woman who had a hard life. She was the third of ten children born to a farmer in the 1860’s. Life on a farm in the 1800s meant hours of manual toil, day after day.

In 1887, Anna married a farmer and the hard work continued. As the years went on, she experienced the unspeakable grief of a mother watching her child die in infancy. Anna, however, went through this not just once, but five times.

Then her husband died from a heart attack. By the time she reached her 70’s, arthritis was taking over her body. She was no longer able to do the things she used to do. It was then that Anna Mary Robertson picked up a brush and began to paint.

She never had any formal training. Nevertheless, her pictures radiated something that everyday people and art critics alike could not resist. They radiated something we might not expect. Her pictures radiated joy.

This is how Anna Mary Robertson Moses—Grandma Moses—got her start as an artist. She picked up her brush and shared her joy. And she kept right on sharing her joy until the age of 101.

Not all of us may experience as difficult a life as Grandma Moses. But we all know that life is often filled with pain, disappointment, and grief. And we know the guilt of all the wrongs we have committed. The guilt and grief of life can rob us of any joy we might hope to have.

But that’s why Jesus came. He came to rescue us from our sins and promise us an eternal life in the heavenly home he is preparing. We have every reason to rejoice.

So, while we may not be able to paint like Grandma Moses, we can share our joy by telling others the story of what Jesus has done for us. Let’s do just that until we are called home to him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in those moments when life is hard, remind me of the joy I have in you and your promises. Amen.