The Fullness of Joy

"You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

(Psalm 16:11, NKJV)

In February 2008, Kelsey Harris of Columbus, Mississippi 

was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain cancer,

she was 14 years old.

Kelsey was admitted into St. Jude Children's Hospital 

where she spent most of the rest of her life.

While Kelsey was undergoing treatment, the hospital staff 

were very impressed with her joyful attitude.

They asked her how she seemed so happy under the circumstances...

She replied simply, "Life is more interesting when you're happy."

Three months before she died, Kelsey was asked by the nurses if there

was anything that she wanted to accomplish in the time that remained;

this is what she wrote:

I want to...

 Write something worth reading

Read something worth sharing

Say something worth repeating

Give something worth getting

Choose something worth keeping

Sacrifice something worth giving up

Go somewhere worth seeing

Eat something worth tasting

Hug someone worth holding

Buy something worth treasuring

Cry tears worth shedding

Do something worth watching

Risk something worth protecting

Listen to something worth hearing

Teach something worth learning

Be someone worth knowing.

Kelsey Harris died April 6, 2009.

Before her passing Kelsey again wrote something worth reading:

"Keys to Finding Joy in Life"

  

I like to be by myself but I can't stand to be alone.

I love the dark but hate not being able to see.

I enjoy meeting new people but I hate being with strangers.

I want my voice to be heard but despise talking out loud.

I want to be in a Hall of Fame but I don't like being the center of attention.

I want to have my most complicated problems solved but I don't want complicated answers.

I want to always be healthy but not have to take medicine.

- the key to joy in life is God!

With God, I can be away from the world by myself but not be alone for He is with me.

With God, I can be in the dark, be blind, but see more than the people of the world can.

With God, I can meet new people but they won't be strangers 

because they are children of God, like me.

With God, my voice can be heard even if I whisper.

With God, I can enter His 'Hall of Fame' but not deal with the pressures of earthly things.

With God, I can have even the most complicated problems solved with a simple answer.

With God, I can have an incurable disease yet be healthy in what matters most.

Without God, I will be with the world and be totally alone.

Without God, I will walk around with my eyes wide open, 

but not see as much as the Christian blind man sees.

Without God, I can meet all the people in the world but they will always be strangers.

Without God, I will have to raise my voice as loud as I can to be heard

but still not be heard when it matters most.

Without God, I will have to work extremely hard to get into a worldly Hall of Fame

but still not get into the highest one.

Without God, my most complicated problems can't be solved 

and the attempts will be so complicated I won't understand them.

Without God, I will have to take pill after pill and will always be incurably sick.

With God, I can achieve anything.

Without God, I will achieve nothing.

(by Kelsey Harris)

  May Kelsey's words inspire you to look at the fragility of life

and look with joy on what is truly important!

♥ Cath-

P.S. Special thanks to John Meeboer for bringing 

this young woman's wonderful words and faith to my attention!