You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy,
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:11
At our home in Fayetteville, Jackie and I have found the small screened-in porch on the northeast side of the house to be our favorite room. It’s a tranquil space, capturing a bit of a breeze on occasion, and after hanging her chimes outside one of the windows, creates a sacred space for us to catch our breath, to be still, and know God.
Along our side of the neighborhood, backyard fences create borders along property lines. It reminds me a little of what ‘Tim the Toolman Taylor’ had in his backyard, and how his friendly neighbor Wilson would look over the side and engage in conversation from the nose up. (You never saw his mouth, right?!)
Directly across the view from our porch, four yards converge together, and in one of those yards, a young boy seems to have his own favorite outdoor spot, as we often see him engaged in some sort of activity in his corner. One day, as we enjoyed a meal together on the porch, this youngster hollered out, “Hello!” to which we both replied, “Hello!” He giggled, and ducked back behind the fence, and then went about his business of doing what young boys do in their favorite corner of their backyard. A few minutes passed, and he then sprang up again and made sure we saw him, and went about playing with some trucks along the fence, giggling all the while, making sounds like trucks make and having a blast. His Dad came over and said, “Now son, don’t be bothering the neighbors.” To which Jackie and I assured him his son was not doing, and we were delighted to experience the joy of this youngster as he played outside.
Fullness of joy. Joy unspeakable. Joy captured in a youngster’s carefree spirit as he played along a backyard fence, and perhaps unbeknownst to him, was infecting others with his joy.
As we journey through our days, how might we be a living witness of the fullness of joy within us? What do we need to lay aside, so that we create space for the peace of Christ to consume our hearts and minds? Where might we be fully present with another today, so that they will experience how much they matter to God? With whom will we share the fullness of joy today?
Blessings,
David
Fayetteville, NC – Summer of 2023 – Picture credit David Blackman