Thursday 5 February 2015

The Fullness of Joy

"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
(Psalm 16:11, NKJV)

In February 2008, Kelsey Harris of Columbus, Mississippi 
was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain cancer,
she was 14 years old.

Kelsey was admitted into St. Jude Children's Hospital 
where she spent most of the rest of her life.

While Kelsey was undergoing treatment, the hospital staff 
were very impressed with her joyful attitude.
They asked her how she seemed so happy under the circumstances...
She replied simply, "Life is more interesting when you're happy."

Three months before she died, Kelsey was asked by the nurses if there
was anything that she wanted to accomplish in the time that remained;
this is what she wrote:

I want to...
 Write something worth reading
Read something worth sharing
Say something worth repeating
Give something worth getting
Choose something worth keeping
Sacrifice something worth giving up
Go somewhere worth seeing
Eat something worth tasting
Hug someone worth holding
Buy something worth treasuring
Cry tears worth shedding
Do something worth watching
Risk something worth protecting
Listen to something worth hearing
Teach something worth learning
Be someone worth knowing.

Kelsey Harris died April 6, 2009.
Before her passing Kelsey again wrote something worth reading:

"Keys to Finding Joy in Life"
  
I like to be by myself but I can't stand to be alone.
I love the dark but hate not being able to see.
I enjoy meeting new people but I hate being with strangers.
I want my voice to be heard but despise talking out loud.
I want to be in a Hall of Fame but I don't like being the center of attention.
I want to have my most complicated problems solved but I don't want complicated answers.
I want to always be healthy but not have to take medicine.
- the key to joy in life is God!

With God, I can be away from the world by myself but not be alone for He is with me.
With God, I can be in the dark, be blind, but see more than the people of the world can.
With God, I can meet new people but they won't be strangers 
because they are children of God, like me.
With God, my voice can be heard even if I whisper.
With God, I can enter His 'Hall of Fame' but not deal with the pressures of earthly things.
With God, I can have even the most complicated problems solved with a simple answer.
With God, I can have an incurable disease yet be healthy in what matters most.

Without God, I will be with the world and be totally alone.
Without God, I will walk around with my eyes wide open, 
but not see as much as the Christian blind man sees.
Without God, I can meet all the people in the world but they will always be strangers.
Without God, I will have to raise my voice as loud as I can to be heard
but still not be heard when it matters most.
Without God, I will have to work extremely hard to get into a worldly Hall of Fame
but still not get into the highest one.
Without God, my most complicated problems can't be solved 
and the attempts will be so complicated I won't understand them.
Without God, I will have to take pill after pill and will always be incurably sick.

With God, I can achieve anything.
Without God, I will achieve nothing.

(by Kelsey Harris)

  May Kelsey's words inspire you to look at the fragility of life
and look with joy on what is truly important!

Cath-

P.S. Special thanks to John Meeboer for bringing 
this young woman's wonderful words and faith to my attention!
 



    

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