Celebrating After the Storm!

Fiver and I had a decision to make this morning… after a long and loud night of thunderstorms, rain and bouts of hail, we were a little stir-crazy and wanted to get out for our usual morning walk along the city golf course next door and on to the neighborhood park and pond just beyond.  The only problem was that dark skies still looked a little menacing and the weather report on the radio predicted the chance of more storms throughout the morning… with clearing in the early afternoon.

The one redeeming report though, came from the two different weather radar apps that I have on my phone which showed the latest storm front moving eastward and away, with nothing behind it coming into the Tulsa area from the west… and… there were a few golfers out on the greens… which is always a positive sign! 

So, that was good enough for us and I harnessed up the dog, put on a light rain resistant jacket (just in case) and we headed out the front door!  And it turned out to be the right decision, as the clouds began to slowly lighten and blue, sunny skies emerged.

Well… it was definitely all I needed to put a JOYFUL smile on my face… and Fiver seemed pretty happy about it as well.  About half way to the park we came across an older lady who had also braved the precarious weather and was walking toward us.  We were near a spot where the pathway narrowed, so I stopped and had Fiver sit as I didn’t want to frighten the lone walker.  I’ve learned on our daily walks, that not everyone is comfortable around dogs the size of Fiver.  So, we smiled and gave her a hearty “good morning,” which greeting she happily returned and we let her pass by on her way.

On the way back from the park, I noticed a young mother with her baby in a stroller, that we had previously passed on our morning walks and commented to Fiver that I wondered if she’d acknowledge us this time.  Although she normally kept her head down, the last time we saw them, I was able to catch her attention and say hello.  This time though, she initiated the conversation by going out of her way to greet us and complement Fiver on his “good looks!”  I, in turn, greeted her and made a complimentary remark about her baby who was wide awake and looking over the side of the stroller!

Those two interactions this morning just kind of made my day!  The skies were clearing up, large patches of blue were emerging and the sun finally popped out with its golden glow!  I couldn’t help but to praise the Lord and REJOICE as we strolled between the golf course on our left and the backyards on the right, complete with the cute little Pit-mix puppy who was wiggling along his property line and reaching through the chain link fence in order to sniff and lick Fiver and the big Golden Retriever next door… who was also vying for Fiver’s attention!

It all reminded me of the very familiar scripture I had studied earlier this morning, with a modern paraphrased translation, and I recited the verse aloud as we walked and declared,

“This is the very day GOD acted— let's celebrate and be festive!”                       (Psalm 118:24 / The Message) 

And you know?  God had acted!  It was a stormy night but Fiver and I made it through (with the help of some calming medicine for the pooch) with flying colors… a little tired maybe… but doing good!  We were able to share some of the JOY of the Lord with our neighbors… and them with us… and all is well right now, out here in northeastern Oklahoma!

The King James Version of our scripture verse above says,

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” 

The original Hebrew for the word ‘REJOICE’ literally means to “spin around with emotion.”*  While to ‘BE GLAD’ is defined as “to brighten up, to put into a good frame of mind and to be delighted with a thing.”* 

I think that the modern Message Bible expresses the emotional and physical response that the psalmist was trying to convey, in a more expressive way for us in today’s society.  It is not only “the day that the Lord has made” but, it is the “very day that God acted” in our behalf, in the midst of the situations in our life RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW… and therefore like me this morning… we want to CELEBRATE and BE FESTIVE!

I don’t know about you… but when I CELEBRATE with FESTIVE JOY, I don’t do it sitting in a chair with my hands folded on my lap… DO YOU?  I’ve been known to grab my wife (or one of our kids… or even the dog!) and dance them around the kitchen… or like today… to jump a little bit right out there in the neighborhood community greens area, between the houses and the golf course!

That’s also why I almost always go out of my way to smile and say hello to those that Fiver and I come in contact with while on our daily walks!  I’ve got the JOY of the Lord because of how He has ACTED in my life… and I want to share it with others!

HOW ABOUT YOU?

I hope that I’ve stirred you up a little today… even if you’ve had a rough night or a questionable morning… God wants to ACT for you in the midst of whatever you’re facing so that you can REJOICE, BE GLAD and CELEBRATE and BE FESTIVE!

Have a great day, keep EXPECTING God’s BEST… and then pass it on to someone else!

 

*Stong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries