TICKET!

Raffles always are popular at work because the ideal of a chance to win motivates the staff to participate. Raffles remind me of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. I was humming the song I've got a golden ticket. I was skipping around going to drink out of an endless fountain of milk chocolate or at least in my head. It is funny how simple things like a raffle could bring such joy.

In reflection about joy, The church of the Thessalonians comes to mind.

16Be joyful always;
17pray continually;
18give thanks
in all circumstances, for this
is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Paul gives the church final instructions. In verse 16, it is a command for them to rejoice exceedingly. Even in the midst of suffering.
6You became imitators of us
and of the Lord;
in spite of severe suffering,
you welcomed the message with
the joy given by the
Holy Spirit. 7And so you
became a model to all the
believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8The Lord's message rang out
from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—
your faith in God has
become known everywhere. Therefore we
do not need to say
anything about it,
9for they themselves report what kind of reception
you gave us. They tell
how you turned to God
from idols to serve the
living and true God,
10and to wait for
his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from
the dead—Jesus, who rescues
us from the coming wrath.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

In verse 17 and 18, again, Paul is commanding them to pray (in all circumstances which includes suffering) and to give thanks, for thelema - the purpose of God or of what God wishes. So we give thanks for God sent his one and only Son to pay the penalty of sin. Because of sin the wrath of God is on you, which is why Jesus is our Propitiator.

I am reminded of this church because I was frustrated this morning at work but God used this ticket for me to give thanks. I was given a monotonous task was writing each staff member on a ticket. About halfway through, my boss says not to waste a ticket so write the names on both the top and bottom. She had no idea where I stopped to go to write on the bottom but God did. So, I wrote start at the beginning with a new set of names and literally when I finished the list every employee was counted for without waste. The tickets evened out without my counting them or anything. They evened out and I just laughed because certain tedious task frustrate me. Opening up envelopes and writing down someone's else name, do not ask why.