Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Happy Dance

We call it the happy dance. It happens when Stephen sees one of his favorite people unexpectedly. The happy dance resembles a gallop or a skip or merely a hop, and it brings a smile to my face every time. It is an expression of pure joy. He simply cannot contain the excitement of the moment and the dance is his response. And when I am the cause of this expression of joy, my heart, too, does the happy dance. Then I also participate in the physical act of the happy dance. I am positive it is more entertaining to watch an 18 month old toddler do the happy dance than it is to watch a 33 year old man, but at the time I don’t care. As my son delights in the presence of his father, his father begins to delight in the presence of his son.

Psalm 149:3-4 instructs the people of God to “Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” God wants his children to take delight in his presence and do the happy dance.

I want to express pure joy about my Father God like Stephen does about me. I want to be so anxious for my Daddy’s presence that when He arrives, I cannot contain the excitement, and I have to dance, and sing, and laugh. I want my response to Him to bring Him delight so that he joins with me.

We call it the happy dance.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

The Wisdom I Lack

"Man versus himself.
Man versus machine.
Man versus the world.
Mankind versus me.
The struggles go on,
The wisdom I lack,
The burdens keep pilling
Up on my back.
So hard to breathe,
To take the next step.
The mountain is high,
I wait in the depths.
Yearning for grace,
And hoping for peace.
Dear God...Increase."
--from Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy

I wanted to title this blog Every New Day, but that was taken already so I have settled for The Wisdom I Lack. Perhaps, though, it is more fitting for me, because while I have always loved to write, the truth is I lack the wisdom to use words to say anything that hasn't already been said. The words of wisdom from my faith come from the scriptures of the Bible. The words of wisdom from my life experiences come from those who have spoken into me over the years and from those whom I have read. And at the risk of sounding falsely humble, any wisdom readers may gain from this blog will be not my own, but a gift that has been given to me for the edification of others.

The wisdom I lack is also the wisdom I am seeking. The posts here on this blog will reveal what I have learned from books, articles, and blogs that I am reading. Posts will deal with truths of life that I am wrestling with. The wisdom of the scripture in the Bible will often be a subject of my posts. I imagine some posts will actually reveal the wisdom I lack. Especially if those posts have anything to do with USC football.

If you have gotten this far, thank you, and I hope and pray that with each entry on The Wisdom I Lack that you too will pray and sing with me... Dear God, Increase.