Simple Gifts

I met a young lady recently whose name is Joy.  I asked her if that was a family name or if there was a particular reason her parents chose that name for her.

She replied, “My parent’s told me there were three reasons they gave me this name:

1.       They hoped I would know the joy of the Lord

2.       They hoped I would be a joy to the Lord

3.       They hoped I would bring joy to others.”

And the interesting thing?  She really did seem to be a joyful person with a ready smile and an easy laugh.

In giving her the gift of this name, her parents had given her a simple but effective way of framing the world and her place in it in a positive light.