We read from Zephaniah and I paused to ask, “What is delight?”
Blank stares from the faces in the bunk beds.
“God delights in you it says. What is delight?”
For me?
Rocking in grandmother’s lap with my eyes closed while she hummed “Love Lifted Me” up against my ear.
Swinging with my big sister in the smell of cut grass, the sound of crickets, the blue dusk, Saturday night, Dad’s grilling burgers.
Hot vinyl car seats in the blue Ford after church in the Spring.
My hand reached for and held in the dark movie theatre.
I do.
Naked and unashamed and unafraid.
A grand piano in an empty room and nowhere else to be.
A four year-old in a tutu, hair in a bun, on tiptoes.
Trying hard to lose at Horse in the driveway.
Small brown hands skipping across my hair and skin setting off giggles all around me.
Cartwheels on a beach.
When Gresham answered. “Ice cream. God delights in me like I delight in ice cream.”
And Penelope. “Drawing.”
Gabriella groaned. “Like I delight in sleep.”
Penelope sketched a picture of her humidifier and then some flowers while we prayed – thanking God for all that delights us. Then it’s lights out, the day is over, and God stayed up to sing.
Delighted.
JessicaB says:
Jokes only Two Year Old’s understand.
Tanya Robinson says:
Beautiful!
greg says:
exquisitely done. this is my favorite passage of scripture, and your reflection on it is inspiring to me. thank you. grace and peace to you.
Mary says:
Zephaniah 3:17 I love Dennis Jernigan’s translation.
The eternal self existent God, the God Who is three in one. He who dwells in the center of your being is a powerful and valiant warrior. He has come to set you free, to keep you safe, and to bring you victory. He is cheered and He beams with exciting joy and takes pleasure in your presence. He has engraved a place for himself in you and there He quietly rests in His love and affection for you, He cannot contain Himself at the thought of you and with the greatest of joy spins around wildly in anticipation over you. He has placed you above all other creations and in the highest place in His priorities. In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph, Joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!
kiriseth says:
The unadulterated, radiant joy I feel when I open my mouth and start singing – be it a solo in my church’s Christmas music program, a Broadway showtune, (a Shaun Groves performance in Boerne, Tx) or a nursery song to soothe a fussy baby to sleep.
The shiver of goosebumps up my arms as I hear my son’s 7th grade orchestra in concert. No matter the number of wrong notes, it is amazing to me to hear these kids so enthusiastic about making music, on stringed instruments, no less!
That sharp spear of delight in my heart as my son wraps me in a hug, still “little boy” enough to not care about being seen hugging me in public, but “young man” enough to not want me to kiss him on the cheek (he’ll be 13 next month. Ack!)
The happy tears and sobs that escape me as I hear Handel’s Messiah performed perfectly.
My God, my son and music – in these things I delight.
Karen says:
not too many folks know where Boerne, TX is….was there a few months ago visiting family!
Katie says:
Delightful!
Sassiekiwi says:
As someone who can’t have kids, I have learnt alot about delight from watching friends and family who can. For me, the picture of delight is parents of their very first baby. Everything about that child is a source of wonderment and delight … they go into raptures … “did you see? Did you see her smile … Look! She just rolled over … He took a step! …” or the quiet contemplation as they sleep and parents stare at the perfect fingers and toes … marvelling at them. That sense of wonderment and joy.”
What is most mindblowing to me is that God is like that about us! He says, “look! Did you see … did you see what he just did? Thats my child … Wow … look at her … she’s so beautiful … ”
Good post Shaun. Thanks …
elizabeth Leonard says:
Hey Shaun,
This post is beautiful.
Just wanted you to know that I posted about Compassion today.
http://ekmekvarmi.blogspot.com/2010/12/want-to-do-something-different-this.html
Merry Christmas!
Amy Danielle Smith says:
love. this.
beautiful.
Patricia (Pollywog Creek) says:
That was poetry…and music, Shaun. Perfectly delightful, thank you.
Melissa @ Breath of Life says:
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for the reminder that He delights in us.
Brandy says:
wonderful post…need to go hug my children now
Kelli says:
Kissing my child’s head today, on his third birthday, remembering the words of my doctor when I was pregnant saying I would most likely not carry this child to term.
That very child is in the next room singing “Oh God you are my God” in his new microphone.
Delight.
Thanks for helping me reflect today.
Lisa-Jo @thegypsymama says:
Oh Shaun. This, this is my favorite favorite of yours.
I Live in an Antbed says:
What precious “Dad Wisdom” to teach your children! It will serve as such a lovely foundation on which to build. And their understanding of His Delight in them will serve them well as a weapon to wield against the evil one who will try to whisper lies saying they are “unworthy, unlovable.”
Ida Mundell says:
This is beautiful. Thanks for the reminder.
NancyTyler says:
It was nice to read this today after being awake through the middle chunk of the night, alternately worshipping and wrestling with God over some difficult things.
As I finally started to drift back to sleep an hour before my alarm clock was set to go off, I was pretty sure I heard a lullaby from heaven drift over my tear-stained pillow.
jen says:
Some days – the hard days – we need reminders of what is true. Thank you.
Cheri says:
My favorite too. Thank you.
Liz says:
Beautiful!
Nellie Dee says:
Truly delightful sums it up with the piece de resistance being “and God stayed up to sing”.