I Sing for Joy

Monday, January 23, 2023

“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” ~ Psalm 94:2 NRSV

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

I received this text message from our older son Seth Saturday evening: “I was at supermarket with MH (Marie-Helene), and she saw a pallet of Diet Coke. She said, ‘Grandpa would be so happy if he saw that. Or imagine if there was a truck full of Diet Coke. Grandpa would be so happy; he’d scream like a little girl!’”

Grandpa (a.k.a. Rod) does indeed like Diet Coke, and she observed him with a can in hand. Seth has no idea where she learned the metaphor of being so happy, he’d scream like a little girl. Go figure.

I was still giggling (no comments about a little girl, please) when it was time for bed. And that’s when I got to thinking about what makes me so happy. Certainly, the words of children can bring surprising joy. If you doubt that, observe a Time for Children in worship sometime. Come-from-behind victories can bring joy, if you are a fan of the winning team. Stirring music, beautiful sunrises, a story shared by a friend can bring joy. A job well-done can bring joy.

I don’t always connect these with God, and yet…the Psalmist writes, “by the words of your hands, I sing for joy.” The world around us, from the sun, to squash, to silly little girls, to you, are the works of God. Maybe I need to be a bit more open to crediting God with all these, and more.

I pray that something brings you such joy today that you scream like a little girl! ~ Anne