To Everything A TimeSample

Golden Days……A Time to Laugh

Much has been written about the difficulties and heartaches of life as we journey through this ‘vale of tears.’ We’re not promised an easy ride, Christian or not. Job laments that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. And Jesus clearly told his disciples that in this world they, and all who follow him, will have trouble. And then there are the grey days, the dull plodding routine days when nothing much seems to be happening; maybe we find these days comforting, or reassuring, or boring, or dreary, according to our natures.

But life is also shot through with days that stand out like a beacon in a dark sky, the high days and holidays, the celebrations, the reunions, births, celebrations, weddings, and the golden days. The days that make priceless memories when we can laugh and dance, sing and shout and celebrate with all our might, as King David celebrated before the Ark of the Lord. 

Maybe the dull days are needed to throw into sharp focus the joy of the golden days. We do not always understand why things happen as they do. Some years ago I visited the watchmaker’s shop in the Bateljorisstraat, Haarlem, in the Netherlands, where Corrie ten Boom grew up and concealed numerous Dutch Jews from the Nazi regime. One of the exhibits is the piece of embroidery worked, I believe, by Corrie’s sister Betsie who died in Ravensbruck. It hangs reverse side out, a mass of tangled threads, but when turned round shows a beautiful golden crown on a dark blue ground. Our perspective is not God’s perspective.  

 And there’s always joy to be found in the little everyday things of life, even on the greyest days. A woodpecker hanging upside down from the bird feeder. The first tiny spear of a snowdrop poking up from hard winter ground. The trill of a blackbird on a Spring evening.  A cheerful assistant at the supermarket checkout. A baby’s first gummy smile. The comfort of a purring cat on your lap. Coffee with a friend. A new book to read. The smell of shepherds pie cooking in the oven. The list is endless.

The angels in heaven shouted for joy when God created the world. Jesus had joy in his heart which he wanted us all to share. The disciples were filled with joy at the coming of the Holy Spirit. God delights in us and he wants us to delight in him.