by Dr. Kurt Senske
Joy is a word that is much deeper and more spiritual than more earthly descriptions such as happiness and fulfillment. In the words of Teithard de Chardin, "Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God."
It is ironic that one can never completely experience what joy truly means during our earthly lifetimes. Joy, in its purest form is what we will experience when we are in Heaven with our Lord and Savior. The Bible often equates joy with being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Luke 10:21, Luke writes “Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit.”
We get closest to experiencing joy through our faith and when we attempt to imitate our Lord and Savior by serving others. And it is often in times of tragedy that we see our fellow servants exemplify the teachings of Christ through their selfless demonstration of service, compassion, love, forgiveness, justice and truth. It is through these actions that we are able to see and experience joy.
Joy is inspired by servants like dedicated staff member Lynn, who continued to care for the boys and girls of the Bethlehem Children's Center even as she knew her 72-year-old mother was stranded on the roof of her New Orleans home as the water was rising. And by my friend JoAnn, who despite a crippling and painful disease, continues to volunteer at the local women's prison. And the couple who called after Hurricane Katrina to ask if a $500,000 donation could be used to help rebuild the Bethlehem Center. And the poor seminarian, who gave a gift of $50, knowing that a family in New Orleans had more of a need for his Christmas gift fund than his family did.
It is through our daily actions of serving others — our work, home life, community work, giving of our time, talents and resources that provide us with the path to God — that allows us to receive a glimpse of His glory, to experience the joy that passes all understanding, both here in this lifetime and the next.
Dr. Kurt Senske is CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the South, an organization that has an endowment fund at the Foundation and is also is recommended to benefit from several donor funds. The Foundation and its donor partnered with LSSS in 2005 to provide Katrina relief. Kurt serves on a variety of boards, including Thrivent Financial, and works on committees for Lutheran Services in America and Lutheran World Relief. He is the author of two books, Executive Values and Personal Values.