It was spring of 1985.
I was three and a half and didn’t fully comprehend all that was going on, but was repeatedly told a new baby sister would soon be coming home.
I don’t remember much of the experience, but loved the prospect of a constant playmate entering my world.
Four more siblings later, I have discovered that I love being an older brother.
Joy Marie McCarty entered the scene with an all-or-nothing attitude.
Everything from playtime to school time was done with intensity and perfection.
She started reading at the age of three and, thousands of books later, discusses everything from Shakespeare to philosophy.
An avid learner, Joy is consistently on the lookout for knowledge.
Ever since the age of four, Joy has had incredible insight into the spiritual things of God.
At the age of four, Joy snuck out of bed only to witness our father praying deliverance over someone in our living room.
At the moment of release, the physical manifestation of the demonic spirit was corporeal to her innocent eyes.
A long journey of interaction with the spirit realm has followed her into her twenty-first year.
Joy developed a love for worship, arts (dance, drawing, painting, etc.) and most importantly, intercession.
Two primary mentors in her middle school years helped her explore many of these gifts and spiritual abilities.
In her own recount, these two mentors played a life-changing role in her life.
After graduating high school at age 16, Joy moved to inner-city
Chicago to attend Moody Bible Institute.
She fell wholeheartedly into the life and culture of the missions community at Moody, met some incredible friends and ultimately had a breakdown that changed the course of her life.
God used this experience to strip Joy of many of the things she had held so dear.
Her life-long battle with depression reached an all-time low and right before her senior semester, she left and moved back to
Florida.
This time of searching, healing, regret and relief followed her through the rest of her online studies and eventually to the place she had grown to love above all others:
Africa.
In the summer of 2005, Joy went to
Kenya and surrounding areas to live in the bush of
Africa for seven weeks.
Contrary to her stereotypical attitude and persona, she forwent makeup, amenities and all creature comforts to spend time with the people she is called to serve and love.
A monumental event in her life, her time in
Africa confirmed every longing of her heart – and she has every intention of going back.
I have often said that Joy is an extremist in every area of life.
If Joy pursues something, she will quickly become the absolute expert on the subject.
(My standard examples include: Joy doesn’t exercise, she trains for a marathon; Joy doesn’t study the Bible, she learns fluent Greek and is starting Hebrew).
On the flip side, if Joy cannot dominate in an area, she forgoes it and lives in complete denial about the subject (topics in this arena include taxes, oil changes, finances of any kind, and even working with people).
Joy has chosen to postpone her life in
Africa to travel the World Race during 2007.
She is venturing forth in faith to gain the skills, experience and wisdom she will need while in
Africa (needless to say, she is particularly looking forward to our time there).
Her desire to see the world will impact her for years to come and can only serve to change her life in a dramatic way.
I am so lucky to have her on this trip with me and I pray God uses her in mighty ways to impact the nations for Christ.
