Too Bubbly? My Joy comes from the LORD

When I was in 5th grade, I won an award....Student of the year. At the ceremony, the teachers had a tradition of saying the qualities or character of the student before the name of the award winner was announced. As the teacher described the winner, she said, "This student has a bubbly personality...she is a hard worker...she has lots of energy..." I thought she was describing me, but I wasn't sure. The students chanted, it's Laura, it's Laura...she won the student of the year award." I was so excited when finally my name was announced by the teacher. I have always loved school. I love to learn. I love to do my best at a subject and I ALWAYS loved to write. But I am not going to blog about school. This blog is about ENTHUSIASM.

What exactly does it mean to have a "bubbly" personality? I have been told that I am "bubbly" all my life. I have energy, I have enthusiasm...but over the last few years I began to wonder... Am I annoying? Do people think I am fake? Do people think I am over-exaggerating my zeal for God and exaggerating my excitement for life?
Once my husband even asked me are you REALLY that excited about that or this?
I hid these things in my heart. In recent years I pondered the question...what makes me bubbly and joyful? You made me Jesus....but I don't want to annoy people with my personality. I gave my questions to the LORD. Then one day, as our LORD kindly does when we spend time in His word...He gave me an answer. I was reading a devotion by Pastor Jon Courson and he was talking about Joy. Joy, as we know, is a fruit of the Spirit. (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Gal 5:22. Emphasis mine.) Interestingly enough, it's the second fruit listed in Galatians (listed after love.) Well, as I read this devotion, I started to cry. You see, Pastor Jon stated that the word enthusiasm, comes from the root word in the Greek 'entheos' en- (meaning in) and theos - God. So enthusiasm means "full of God." I am not crazy! I thought...this enthusiasm you put in my LORD is joy or enthusiasm or excitement for God. I felt that overwhelming peace that only comes from the LORD. All these years people would ask me....Where does your joy come from? Why are you happy all the time? Where do you get your energy? Where do you get such enthusiasm? In my adult years I would tell people, it's from the LORD. It's Jesus. It's just the joy of the LORD that you see in me... Little did I know, that the very root definition of the word "enthusiasm" means, full of God. One definition describes it this way: enthusiasm - overflowing with eager enjoyment or approval
Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm," Now we know the definition of enthusiasm has changed over the years and one can be "enthusiastic" about anything, sports, music, travel, work, family, etc. For me, I continue to enjoy a life that is "full of God" or full of joy or full of Jesus. I know sometimes my personality might be too extroverted for some...and I am praying to know when to speak, and when to be silent. I am praying and asking Jesus to help me be a better listener...I can be enthusiastic or joyful without being overbearing or annoying...Bottom line, the joy of the LORD truly is my strength period. (Nehemiah 8:10b) Thank you Jesus for making me joyful. My joy is a gift from you and I am thankful!