The little boy you see in the pictures is Brian. I met him while in Kenya.
If Brian turned around, you would see he has no “seat” to his pants. Brian does not have much from a “worldly” perspective. He does not possess many things that are tangible.
However, Brian does have JOY. You can see it in his eyes and in his heart. Brian’s JOY moved me. It challenged me in several ways. First, I tend to attempt to bring JOY to my life by adding things. Brian teaches me that the secret to JOY is to subtract things … to subtract what distracts. Less stuff — More JOY.
Second, I became aware of what I allow in my life to steal my JOY. Some big ones for me include not understanding or accepting God’s sovereignty — that He is in Total control. Allowing circumstances to dictate my joy. A dissatisfied spirit with my earthly condition (what I have, where I live, how I look). Fear of the future. Self-centeredness — when I focus too much on me and my needs. What do you allow to steal your JOY? What can/will you subtract to create room for more JOY in your life?
Thank you Brian for the snapshot of JOY and the gift you gave me of greater awareness of the JOY in my life. My faith, my wife, my family, my friends, the opportunity to love/inspire/coach/train others.
Find your JOY … and pass it on like Brian …
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