We are very fortunate in the name of our church – Joy. I was thinking about this the other day, and it reminded me of my close friend Bill.

Bill grew up on a farm in North Dakota near Strasburg, the hometown of Lawrence Welk.  He also shares the same German-Russian heritage as Welk, and you can tell it when Bill talks, for he sounds exactly like Welk.  He went to school in a one-room schoolhouse, which was “heated” by a wood stove.  Although lacking a sophisticated educational preparation and ample finances, with grit and determination he managed to go to college, and then earned a PhD in mathematics.  True to his country roots, Bill loves to hunt and fish.

One Sunday, when we lived in Colorado, Paulette and I took a ride up the Poudre Canyon west of Ft. Collins. When we turned into a small riverside picnic area, we were surprised to see Bill. He was sitting at a picnic table and had just fried up some fresh-caught trout on his camp stove. There’s almost nothing better than fresh-caught trout, but he was just sitting there laughing so hard he was crying. You see, to save space he had carried all of his cooking needs in small baby food jars. Somehow he had gotten the jars switched and had fried his trout in Joy! In case you’re not familiar with Joy dishwashing detergent, it is a yellow-gold liquid just about the same consistency and appearance as cooking oil.

I think I remember the story so vividly because of the pure joy with which Bill told us what had happened, and it was a mistake that would have brought anger and embarrassment to many. In some ways Bill’s story can serve as a model for us. While we should acknowledge and repent for our human failings and sins, we should not dwell on the associated guilt, but rather express joy for God’s grace. With a church named Joy, we have a head start. Romans 15:13 says, “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.”

Please accept the joy that comes from God loving YOU unconditionally.

Jim