Have you ever noticed my User Name on this blog? My husband commented that my user name, Joyful, is a really nice expression.
Let me tell you how I came up with that name.
While in Bible Study Fellowship in the study of the Minor Prophets, Dottie the teacher led a short devotional on Habakkuk 3:17-19. She said something like: In the worst case scenario as Habakkuk described here in these verses – when the stock market crashes, when you lose your job, when everything goes wrong, YET we can be JOYFUL in our God our SAVIOR.
That lesson stuck with me. The book of Habakkuk has become one of my favorite books in the Bible. In fact, I chose to speak on Habakkuk the one opportunity that I had to speak to the congregation at my church (covered the entire book in 35 minutes! Dottie would’ve been proud of me!)
Habakkuk 3:17-19 has kept me encouraged and JOYFUL in hard times.
While explaining this to my husband of how I came up with Joyful as my user name, I am suddenly struck by how a lesson from one person, Dottie, can influence my life so much.
Impacting the choice of my user name may not seem significant, but consider how often I type the word Joyful. Every time I sign in, every time I post comments on other blogs and forums, JOYFUL is typed on my keyboard many times a day and travels quite a bit.
Every time I type in JOYFUL, I think of the words of encouragement in Habakkuk 3:17-19 and in a subconscious sort of way, I thank God for the incredible gift of salvation.
I studied the Bible under Dottie’s teaching for about 6-7 years. I often tell people that she is one of the best teachers I know, and that includes my seminary professors that I’ve had. I wish I can get recordings of Dottie’s lectures.
But here is that part that bothers me: after 6-7 years with Dottie, how come I can only remember a handful of lessons from her?? OMG, has she spent endless hours week after week all these years for me to just gain a user name??
Oh, but that user name means so much to me! Thank you Dottie, I hope you don’t think it’s been a waste. It hasn’t been a waste to me. THANK YOU!
And if I can impact one person in the same way, I would count myself incredibly useful.