Remember the children's song, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands?" These past few days, I feel like I'm clapping as fast as my hands can go, and it's not fast enough to tell Papa God "Thanks" for all He's done.
The thing is, in many ways it's been a really tough week. Little things have interrupted my carefully scheduled office hours; in fact, even my plans for an evening swim have been waylaid more than once this week! (Imagine!) The loud, happy bustle of my home filled with all my children visiting has been replaced by a serene, tidy stillness that reminds me how much I love having them around me. And most important of all, I've finally had time to process the loss of three very dear friends in the past two months.
AND YET! In the midst of all my silly self-pity and very true grief, I have found myself so happy it nearly hurts. Why? The bottom line is - God is very near. His Presence feels almost tangible and even during the night I find myself waking up with a song pouring out of me.
You see, I have gotten to swim many times this week. The tall, decorative mirrored doors that welcome guests as they come in my front door are still covered with little hand prints and baby kisses, left there by my 14-month old granddaughter as she loved the 'baby in the mirror'. I'm not sure when I'll be able to wash those mirrors again! Those little smudges are reminders of the joy of generations that are following us.
And my dear friends who have died, I'm so glad to say, are each in heaven, celebrating a race run well and a life well lived. While I grieve for my loss, I celebrate their gain.
In the very real ups and downs of life, everywhere I look I can find the face of Jesus if I slow down long enough to see Him. And seeing His face makes me happy, and I know it.
I'm clapping as fast as I can.
