J O Y

Joy should be a nice name to have.  Right? Many people in my life have told me what a wonderful name that is.  

They just didn’t know. 

In my childhood, we had a plaque hanging on the wall that said:

            J – Jesus First

            O – Others Next

            Y – Yourself Last

Repeatedly over the months and years, my mother made the meaning of that “Y” clear.  

“You need to remember that everyone else in the world is more important than you.”  

And so, I did.  I knew I had no value.  

When I married at 17, someone gave us a gift of that same plaque to hang on the wall in our home. My worthless condition continued. 

After a divorce, I searched for meaning in my life.  One year passed … and then two.  Then came the day I saw all the words in the scripture “love your neighbor as yourself”. Was I supposed to like me?  

Another two years passed as I pondered those words.  I removed the J O Y plaque from the wall and threw it in the trash.  I posted the verse about loving me on the front of the refrigerator.  

Finally, I believed!  

Inwardly, I changed the meaning of my name.  Joy meant delight, bliss and gladness.  What a difference that made in my life.  

As I listened to last Sunday’s sermon, my mind did a double-take at the words I heard.  After rewinding, the same words were repeated. The pastor had no idea how he was messing with my mind.  

It’s taken me a few days to truly let it sink in.   

J O Y is so much more than just delight, bliss and gladness.  In his explanation of the word, the J still stands for Jesus.  The Y still stands for you.  But the O stands for zero.  

There is nothing between Jesus and me!  

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Galatians 5:14 (NIV)