Joy and Sorrow

Have you ever been on a roller coaster?

Have you ever been on the Vortex?

its from Calaway Park just outside Calgary and it is pretty awesome. I remeber just becoming tall enough to ride it and it was AWESOME.

But like all good roller coasters they have their ups and downs. One of those ups is the first intial climb where your anticipation is growing and growing until you hit that drop! What a great time, but as you get closer and close to the end of the ride it gets more and more lame, espcially if the roller coast has a small decline to the end of the track, those are always so disapointing!

See our life is alot like a roller coaster.

Pretty cliche right?

Well yes it is in the fact that we will have crazy joyful times and we will also have some pretty low points.

Yes our life will be filled with momments of complete Joy and crazy happy momments, but our life will be filled with some pretty disappointing hours and times where we are just flat out sad.

Now I want you to remeber our tag verse for this series, 2 Tim 1:7

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

God did not make us timid, rather he gave us love and self discipline.

So what does that mean when it comes to the joys of life and the sorrows?

Well I got to be honest some of you might be having the best time of your life, right your teens and that is pretty awesome that you dont have to do stuff likes taxes. So, some of you might be really happy and might have Joy.

While some of you might feel like rock bottom, just flat out done with it all and I am sorry that you feel that away.

No matter where you are today know that God gives you love, and self discipline.

When it comes to joy and sorrow they can both make us act in ways that are not normal. In ways that are not like us, if you had ever met Liam when he is really happy you will hear him. I like to get loud if I am having fun.

I remeber in college some guys would hate me becuase I would be shouting and laughing at 2:00am like a crazy person. Even though its funny, I am still embaressed that I could not keep my volume down, even though I was happy I still acted outside my normal

However on the otherside Sad Liam, well you wouldn’t see Sad Liam, cuz Sad Liam does not see anyone, he hides away for weeks at a time, canceling social outings with others, constantly by himself, fun fact when I started to Long Board as much as I did, I found that is a huge escape from my Sad Liam.

Both of these examples show that if we don’t gather ourselfs we will act out of character.

When it comes to Joy and Sorrow listen to this

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

See I want you to know that there is always a reason to give praise to God

There is always a reason to talk with him

there is always a reason to give thanks

in the depths of what ever you are going through God is still good

in the heights of your life God is good.

Proverbs 3:5 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

See it’s not us, but God who guides us.

When we don’t understand what is happening in life, we can lean not on our own ideas or our own thoughts but we can lean on the idea that God cares for us and is for us.

So in your happiest momments, know the God is with you,

in your worst mommnets God is for you.

Questions:

“I invite you to be real with each other, this is a safe place to share our joys and our sorrows”

What is the best thing that has happened in your life this year?

Where was God in that experience?

What is the worst thing that has happened in your life this year?

Where was God in that experience?