Joy

The family Evie married into has a lovely tradition of having the wedding party share during the ceremony.  As brides-maids, we were to share with Joe what a gift he was getting in Evie.  I chose to focus on her Joy.  Lest I forget what I shared, I wanted to write it down somewhere "permenant." So bear with me while I share what a gift my sister has been to me and now is to Joe...

To Joe,
What a treasure you are getting in Evie. Her life swells with joy - sweet, exuberant. Why? Because her joy is from the Lord, through the Lord and a gift back to the Lord. It is a joy that fills her so that she breaks herself open and pours out - giving, giving, giving. She is a woman who enjoys the presence of the Lord. And in His presence is fullness of joy.

This joy of hers spills out to those she loves in countless ways. She cheerfully serves others, even in the mundane.

I still can’t get over how Bethany convinced Evie to do her laundry all those years. But Evie joyfully did so, never complaining once, even when I tried to convince her to make her sister do what she should have been doing or at least work out a fair trade. The thought of only giving if she received something equal in return was foreign to her.

It is also impossible for Evie to remain mad at someone she loves. And this is something you will appreciate and in good old Heller fashion be able to take advantage of… Whenever she would be mad at one of us, it would never take long before she would crack. A funny face, a simple joke or even a tickling hug would usually result in her joy bubbling back to the surface and forgiveness being generously doled out!

Our parents feel that names in a sense are prophetic. This is clearly evident in Evie’s life. Her middle name, Joy, is a reality in her life and now you will be the daily beneficiary of this! You once wrestled with the question of whether the “joy of today is worth the pain of tomorrow” when you didn’t know if you would ever have Evie’s love. Well now you can bask in the happy thought of knowing that you will get to revel in the joy she brings you for the rest of your life.

Love you Ev!