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My daughter brings me great joy. She brings great frustration, too, since she’s like me in so many ways, but she also brings me so much joy.

Twice a month I go to both of our church services. The first one is for a bible study and the second is for church with framily. Yesterday was one of those days, and my daughter wanted to go to both services. When it came time to drop her off for her class, she didn’t want to go, but I knew bible study wouldn’t be a good fit for her high energy. She’s four, after all. So we made a deal. After the first service when she went to her own class, she could join us for the second service. Eventually, she tearfully agreed. I checked with her again to see if she still wanted to do that, and she was adamant. In fact, she thought that my husband was taking her and my son to class and broke down in tears in the hallway. After we took the 19 month old to class, she helped us with our greeting duties, but my favorite part? When she asked if she could dance.

I don’t know what it was about yesterday’s service. Perhaps I paid really good attention. Perhaps I’ve mastered this abiding thing (not likely). Or perhaps seeing the joy, the freedom, the unfettered energy coming from this 40 pound wonder of a girl reminded me of God and I truly entered his presence with praise. Whatever it was, I so enjoyed watching her dance. Once upon a time, that was me too, and then somehow, I let people tell me “you can’t dance! That’s not worship!” and the burdens of the world kept me from living in that freedom to worship. Yesterday, I felt free. I was filled with joy and I knew, at that point, all the cares in the world could not keep me from worshiping the One who created the heavens and the earth, who set the world into motion, who gave his son so that we could commune with him and not be required to be ceremonially clean.

Is every day worshiping like that? No. But yesterday it was and I needed it. I felt so humbled and loved and I can’t explain it. the God of the universe loves each and every one of us more than we can fathom. All we have to do is be.

In Him,

Karen