One day, my kid will figure out I don’t really know how to do magic. He will see that the watch I swiftly and erratically move from one hand to the other so close to his face that he has to close his eyes doesn’t disappear but is thrown behind him. He will notice that the crumpled tissue I rub between my hands doesn’t come out of his ear but is hidden in my sleeve. He will one day understand that my magic isn’t really magic and that I’m not very good at illusion after all.
But for now, in all the precious, sincere belief of a boy who just turned five, he believes.
And I love it.
I love that he’s shocked by my magical abilities every single time. I love that his eyes question me for a moment before brightening with awe and curiosity when I show him my empty hands.
He searches around himself and around me for the crumpled tissue that has disappeared. He searches in the most unlikely places, which would take real magic for it to get there. I join him, wondering aloud where it could’ve gone, while taking it out of my sleeve when he isn’t looking. I exclaim with surprise, “Come here! I can see it!” and I pretend to pull it out of his ear. His giggles turn to laughter, like the tinkling of champagne glasses mixed with the summer sun. It’s the sound of pure joy; it’s the sound of delight.
I take in the moment, slow it down, drink it deep, and I wonder how often God does this for us as well. I wonder in what ways He has been trying to delight me, how He has been showing me beauty and wonder, and how often I miss it because I’m not paying attention.
But even though I may not catch it all the time, the truth remains the same: God delights in delighting. He creates a rainbow to shine after a hailstorm that rains down ice like little pearls. He formed dewdrops to curl up on long stems of grass, like a newborn sleeping with its arms and legs tucked under her belly. He designed the way laughter and yawns are contagious, the way flowers bloom in the warmth of the sun, and the way children find slapstick comedy belly-achingly hilarious.
I can feel my eyes soften with love for my son as he relishes my “magic” trick, and it must be a glimpse of how God looks at us when we delight in something He’s made for our pleasure.
God is powerful and sovereign. He is majestic and holy. He is with us and for us and is redeeming all things. And yet He is also the one who came down to make a dwelling among us, born as a baby — a baby who probably cooed and laughed that wonderfully full baby laugh at silly sounds made by His mother. He is the one who told His grown-up disciples to become like children to enter the kingdom of God.
Yes, God wants us to mature and carry the burdens of one another and the world, but in between and among the hard things of this life, He is still wanting us to delight and laugh and find joy — in the way a fresh loaf of bread crackles as you break it open, in the afternoon sunshine laying patterns on the floor, in the swirly mist rising from our morning coffee, in the sarcastic humor of a friend or the clever usage of a meme.
Our joy is His joy, and He wants us to delight in delighting as He does. Slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the magic God does all around us.
What brings laughter or joy in your life?
In between and among the hard things of this life, God is still wanting us to delight and laugh and find joy. -@gracepcho: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment
Grace,
All I have to do is look at a giraffe, or a zebra, or some of the zany bird species and I KNOW God has a sense of humor. He called David a man after His own heart and David danced, sans clothing, before the Lord. I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road as I watched the absolutely gorgeous sunrise morph from pale pinks into blazing fuchsia and orange right before my eyes. I know God delights in delighting us, but the sad truth is that often we miss it. We are too busy scurrying from point A to point B. We are too occupied with our “to-do” lists. We are engaged in activities that are life-draining vs. life giving. Sometimes we/I just to plain slow down to see the “magic’ that God is unfolding before my very eyes. Study the petals on 4 or 5 different species of flowers and be amazed at God’s attention to detail. The best belly laughs I get are from talking with my husband and getting to be on the receiving end of his quick wit and sense of humor. This takes listening. Also, laughing at myself can send me rolling on the floor. Oh that we would take ourselves less seriously. Awesome post and great way to delightfully start my day!!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Taking ourselves less seriously is what we need to do more often for sure!
My daughter’s laughter
I am amazed at God’s creativity in every season! And His attention to detail. This Enneagram 3 would have settled for getting the job done: Tree, check! Butterfly, check! Bird, check!
God bent over backwards (as Bev pointed out above!) to make unique and astonishing varieties of beauty in our world, for His glory and for our pleasure!
Yes, He did!
Dear Grace,
Beautifully written and an inspiring reminder! Thank you ❤
Thanks, Kathleen!
In any season, the laughter, the hugs, the presence of those I love brings me joy. In winter, the beauty after a big snow brings me joy- when the trees look like they’ve been dipped in powdered sugar, the landscape is blanketed in cleansing white, and a quiet peace settles around my world. Or on an icy morning, when every bush and tree sparkles like it’s been covered in diamond dust, I laugh with joy at the loving care my Father exhibits. He brings beauty to offset the cold and challenges that this weather can bring. There’s an allegory there about how he minutely cares for our lives. What a delightful Father!
Dipped in powdered sugar- I love that!
Grace,
Your post reminds me of Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Notice He will take great delight in you & rejoice over you with singing. WOW. The God of the universe delights in me. Hard to fathom!! This world is so crazy busy that no one really takes the time to slow down & “smell the roses”. All I have to do is look out my windows & see the huge Smoky Mountains. In fall He lavishly colors everything. Bright oranges, reds & browns on leaves & mountains. Life sometimes gets hard & I find it arduous to laugh or find joy. Then there are days when I make laughter. I will start a pillow fight with hubby & we laugh together. Life is so short to take ourselves seriously. Yet we do it all the time. We rush around so much that we become worn out women. God doesn’t want that. He wants us to slow down, breath & take in all the beauty & greatness that is around us. He wants us to laugh & delight in Him.
Blessings 🙂
THANK YOU
THANK YOU!!!!! Perfect message for this morning. God bless you in abundance
Falling snow. Sunsets in autumn. Laughing with friends. Reading this post! What a delight, wonderful Grace. Thank you for writing and inspiring!
My granddaughters!
Grace,
What a fantastic post with which to start my day! This devotional is always the “whitespace” of my morning at work, where I wrote on my whiteboard in giant red letters “NO NEGATIVITY!” Your writing has helped to remind me that I need only to look around me for visual reminders of His love, grace, and delight. The flower blooming on my desk. The laughter of 3 boys stumbling in from the skating rink last night – brothers; such a unique lot to raise! The sunrise this morning and the warm hand to hold as we sit side by side. Even my job, which – though chaotic at times – has been literally life-changing. (They moved us across the country and gave us a much-needed fresh start.)
Oh – and my favorite way He shows His delight? He talks to me daily. He repeats himself so clearly! Even my coworkers giggle about what they refer to as “my world.” It’s too often and too clear to be coincidence; He clearly pursues me daily. And that’ll make a girl feel loved! 🙂
Wonderful post.thankyou I choose a verse and a word from God for every new year and guess what.. My word this year is DELIGHT! He is opening my eyes more the older I get… Watching 20 or so birds trying to bath at once in our bird bath when it is -13 out, watching little children so innocent and happy when I am out for a coffee, yesterday’s walk around the frozen pond seeing the hoar frost glistening white trees, diamonds sparkling on the icy cold snow, and my daily 4 o’clock fragrant cup of tea. I love to smell my food before I eat it…which drives my friends crazy. But… Who cares…I am going to try to be more DELIGHTful as God shows me more of His L❤️ O❤️ V❤️ E.
I loved that “laughter is the sound of delight.” My word for the last two years has been delight. And God has taught me so much about it. Delight = Deep Gratitude. My new word for 2019 is Laugh. I can’t wait to see what I learn…
What a “delightful” word, Denise! Here’s to an amazing New Year. Please share here what you learn!
Oh Grace, I just love these words you’ve written!
Thank you for pointing us back to our Father who can’t help but delight in us. 🙂 I love how we get to experience His loving kindness in big things and small… especially in those baby laughs! lol. This world can feel so heavy, but we need this reminder that you’ve given us today. He wants to show us beauty and joy and sweetness, and He does it for us every day.
Thanks again, Sister!
All of God’s BEST to you,
Becky
Thanks, Becky!
I needed this this morning, Grace. Thank you. Instead of feeling like I’m wasting my time this morning while driving because Im not listening to a podcast or something profound, I’ll just enjoy the glorious view of the mountains between rainstorms and smile and sigh because my Father knew it would delight me.
I’m reading this on my birthday and I agree with all the previous posters. The older the get the more I want to cherish my young daughters and slow down and “smell the roses”. I want to delight in each day and this message encompasses what I want to hopefully do this year. With each day being a blur and a rush and the business of work, at least we can take a few moments to see what God is trying to show us and maybe have a little giggle.
Just getting out of the house with my husband, going to a shopping center to find new jeans for him, and lunching in a restaurant brought me great joy today. He underwent a liver transplant just over a month ago and is making miraculous progress toward healing. We are praising God for this momentous delight!