Delight - Today at Church

I have been reading the book, Seeing What Is Sacred, by Ken Gire. He talks about living a "reflective life", one in which your heart, mind, eyes and ears are sensitive to "God moments" (my phrasing not his) in everyday life. This has been very important to me over the years, a source of rich blessing and growing intimacy with God. This morning I prayed for my husband to have such a blessing today as he sits, most likely, in the cold hard rain ALL day - again - out on the lake in Alaska.

Today, I went to the same church as last Sunday. During the worship songs, I was surprised to find my prayer for my husband had come back on me and I experienced a really neat God moment. I call them "gifts", specifically from God, specifically for me. Again, I felt compelled to write it down. If people notice me at all there, they're probably wondering, Who is this woman who's always writing in church? Is she taking notes on the worship songs???

Here's what I wrote.

Singing, "lead me to Your heart, Lord," I see it. There's Your heart right there! There at the front of the church where barefoot little girls dance and run with banners, ribbons, and silky flags. Twirling, laughing, awkwardly attempting to make their ribbons dance to the music.

I watch them. They are like us all. Some flail wrecklessly. Some move gracefully. Some meticulously try to untangle a twist. Some inadvertantly hurt others. Some just full out run. Some stand with ribbon in hand closely watching others.

I am so full of delight watching them. Is this how You look upon us? With delight and joy at the preciousness of our lives made in Your image? You delight in us! You delight when we play freely. When we twirl and dance with the beauties of life which You've provided for us. Though we do it awkwardly and imperfectly, and according to our own individual personalities, and we sometimes hurt each other, You delight in our joy. In our un-selfconscious innocent enjoyment.

I loved seeing that whole scene as a picture of God and us. God and me. The children were experiencing such delight that it reminded me of how freely I want to delight in God's presence, how truly delightful He is, and how much more I want to know and understand that. And my delighted watching of them spoke to me of God's great delight in us. Believing that brings me into closer intimacy with Him and it sheds away layers of shame and insecurity I can feel in His presence. It enables me to experience His love.

A very sweet gift today.