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     Rina

     The name Rina means ‘joy’. There is a difference between having joy and being happy and that is: happiness depends on what is happening while joy is a condition of the mind, heart and soul that has nothing, or at least very little to do with what is going on in one's life. Once Rina has allowed the Joy-Giver to enter her life and then gives that life back to Him, she then finds joy growing in her heart and with it a desire to share it with others.

    Joy takes place when the eyes are turned away from the happenstances of our lives and are focused on the call and purpose of our lives.  Rina may have been born with a very happy and pleasant personality, or not.   When God wrote our names in the Book of Life it was the meanings of the names that was important to Him. Since joy was the meaning and interpretation of her name it would be logical to assume that God intended for her to be a joyful person.  However, just because she doesn’t bubble over with enthusiasm and laughter all the time doesn’t mean that she necessarily is sour or unhappy on the inside. Joy and/or sadness belong in the realm of the heart and soul.

    Unlike happiness, which depends upon what is happening in the physical; joy is developed through and because of what happens in the heart and spirit. Rina takes her life in stride, gaining as much from each experience as she can. Looking for the hand of God in everything, she experiences joy in a beautiful sunrise, a baby's laugh, a good friend's hug and all the many tiny little things with which her life is filled.

    Those who have experienced true sorrow also usually experience true joy. She has learned that no matter what the circumstances are she depends upon His Word that says all things work together for her good. Looking to God as the Author and Finisher of her faith, Rina knows that life is short; therefore she lives it to the fullest. In the mean time she brings joy to those that share it with her. 

Psalm 35: 9  And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord:  it shall rejoice in His salvation..

 © Helen Elliott 2007