Genetic Gladness

"He has made me glad, he has made me glad, I will rejoice for he has made me gla -a-ad. He has made me glade, he has made me glad, I will rejoice for he has made me glad."

I like this song, but it just came to me that maybe it doesn't mean what I used to think it meant. I used to think that once I knew Him, you know, on a personal level I would then be glad. However, when I wasn't glad, I was very upset with myself and with God for the lack of gladness. I thought I was a failure as a Christian if I didn't have the smile on my face all of the time. Like God just said, "look you screwed up, so I'm takin' your gladness and you'll get it back when I think you've behaved enough."

I really think that it means what Psalms says "He knit me in my mother's womb" that way. Like He made me glad from the very beginning. I have it in me to be that way all of the time, even in the midst of my struggles and my down days. I am going to try to work out my gladness so that it becomes stronger and more involuntary.

So if you see me looking not-so-glad remind me that it's in there somewhere and I should use it before I lose it.

God Bless my beautiful friends and sisters in Christ!