Spurring one another on

Having been inspired by recent entries of Prone to Wander and subsequent comments. And having thought about the happiness/joy concepts, I was reminded of a passage I loved from an old book I read in college (molti anni fa!)

The son said, Forgive me, my Father, but sometimes I wonder if even in the Other Life there will be that for which my heart longs.
His Father said, In My presence is fulness of joy; can fulness be less than full? At My right hand there are pleasures forevermore; can pleasures be less than delight? Dear child of My love, trust My love. Would I leave one longing unsatisfied? You do not know your Father if you think that I would. You shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of My House: I will give you to drink of My pleasures as out of a river. Do you think that nothing could ever be as beautiful as once it was? Turn your eyes from your beautiful beginnings--I will do better to you than at your beginnnings. (from His Thoughts said...His Father said... by Amy Carmichael, with updated language by me.)

I always loved thinking about that verse, "In thy presence is fulness of joy..." and then the response from this writer, "Can fulness be any less than full?" And then the rest of the verse, "At your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Sometimes we have a tendency to think the Christian life is not meant for pleasure. But our pleasures are in pleasing our Father. Our joy is full. Better than our beginnings!