In a recent “Inside Out”, I shared about my pet frog, Vagary, and the “vagaries” of life. Thanks for all your responses. Your stories were really neat!

Well, I need to add a chapter to my as-yet-unpublished (unwritten as well) book, “The Vagaries Of Life”. The next week after I first published my Vagary story in our ministry newsletter, I was completing a two-part message at a local church.

Sometime between 10:30 am and 12:15 pm, WHILE I was speaking inside, someone stuck a screwdriver (just an educated guess on the implement of destruction) into the passenger door lock and broke into Tonka.

While inside, they ripped out and stole my radio/tape deck and several other things. What a feeling of violation! Tonka was sitting in plain sight. There were no bushes or other cars to shield the activities of the perp (short for “perpetrator”…a term I picked up from American Detective). And, to boot, there I was, preaching the gospel to a building full of people!

I was thankful for several things. He didn’t break any windows (like the last fella did). He didn’t carjack me while I was around and do great bodily harm or worse. He didn’t steal Tonka (thanks, perhaps, to the easily recognized Club on the steering wheel).

The ultimate irony in this whole situation is that the radio/tape deck is totally useless to the thief. It was a Blaupunkt brand and came equipped with an access code. Any time the electrical source is disconnected (he certainly DID disconnect the power source…there were yellow wire nuts all over the floor) one has to punch in the secret access code. It absolutely will not work unless the code is punched in. After 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter the code, the unit locks down and CANNOT ever be used. By the way, if the perp is reading this story, the access code is: #9382!

As I thought about the radio/tape deck and the irony of the code, some interesting thoughts flooded through my brain. My radio/tape deck provides me with a lot of companionship. Especially while on the road, I use my Bible tapes as part of my daily devotions. I enjoy various radio stations and lots of good music tapes. In this instance, the thief robbed me of my tape deck. But, did he rob me of my joy?

Joy is not linked to the circumstances of life. Paul and Silas were joyful while chained in a Roman prison. The jailer had joy after he and his family came to Jesus as a result of Paul and Silas’ experience in prison. Acts 16:34 states, “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole family.” In James 1:2, we read, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

There’s certainly joy in the believer’s ultimate destination. However, there is most assuredly “Joy in the Journey”. Here’s the point: to experience joy in spite of circumstances, we must know the code…a close, personal walk with Jesus. Truly our “Joy is in Jesus!” That’s the code.

Do people, circumstances, personal failures, etc. try to steal our joy? Yes!! We can go through some of the same things Job did. Job asked serious questions. Job even wondered where God was at time. However, I don’t believe Job ever lost his joy. He stated that even if he died and went back to dirt, He’d still trust God. He knew the code…he stayed close to God.

Learn the code. Practice the presence of the Lord on a daily basis. Your joy will remain in you and be full!

What Are The Life Lessons In This Piece?

• Vagary is occasionally going to slap us up side the head with his long, sandpapery tongue.
• Everyone is going to experience the Vagaries of life from time to time — no exceptions!
• A contented, joyful life doesn’t depend on these circumstances, but on how we handle them.
• Jesus IS the code to a joyful life. Knowing and loving Him is the ultimate combination that unlocks the fulfilled life.

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