Gladness

 

As I enjoyed my daily walk around the church buildings, I came across what appeared to be the first flower of Spring. The green shoots had broken through the mulch in various beds and gardens, but this was the first flower I had seen. The happy yellow color appeared so vivid in the bright sunlight. The snow of recent weeks seemed far removed from reality. Somehow, when the first flowers start to bloom, it seems to have been forever Spring.

There are a few gifts that have that kind of power in my life and in my heart. Holding a new born baby seems to always fill me with hope. Hanging out with the youth at church seems to always make me feel a little younger at heart. Talking with an older saint seems to always make me more aware of the amazing lives going on around me each moment. To gather for worship seems to always make my joy a little more complete and my experience of God a little more full. The older I become, the more I need and treasure these gifts. They have become the stuff of my life.

The Psalmist writes, “You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.” There really are some gifts which transcend any value which the world can assign. There really are some gifts that enhance the experience of all other gifts. Gladness colors our world with hope. Gladness opens our eyes to so many other gifts. Like the first flower of Spring, gladness can change our perspective on life itself.

Peace.