These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11 ESV)
Joy
In the tenements of overcrowded New York City, walking the streets could be dangerous in the 19th century. Walmart did not yet sell convenient trash cans, and people used the streets as trash dumps. It was so convenient to toss undesired or leftover items out an open window, so many people did. A journalist walking through one such rainstorm of trash was hit on the head by a shoe. He found himself huddling immediately afterwards, eyeing the dangerous sky, and waiting for the logically expected other shoe.
He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
We might not be walking the streets of New York, but that phrase describes how we feel when we analyze the events of our lives. Folk often wait for the other shoe to drop. Whether the first shoe was a pleasant soft slipper, or a steel-toed boot, pessimism guides our eyesight and expectation.
We expect something bad to happen.
But Christians do not need to share such expectations. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The other shoe that Jesus drops is joy.
We might not notice the joyful things. That is why Jesus emphasizes here, that our joy MAY be full. But it is a question of perspective, not of Jesus’ gifts. We can have joy, if we allow ourselves to trust Jesus enough about what He is doing in our lives.
Full joy.
That is shockingly different from the way the rest of the world eyes the skies.
We are peculiar, we get joy.