Guest Post by Dr. Andrea Cook
Gratitude. Not feeling it. Monday. Rain. People are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Me not doing what I want to be doing. I’m just not feeling it.
If I can only accomplish a couple of these tedious errands, I’ll feel better, perhaps. Entering the store, all I saw was the long check-out line, ugh. And they didn’t have the one thing I came to get, double ugh. So I circled around to find an alternative, and then I heard a sound. At first, it was a very small sound several aisles away. Clapping. Rhythmic clapping keeping time with the song overhead that I hadn’t even noticed before now.
The sound grew, and I heard shuffling with the clapping. Is this what dancing sounds like?
I followed the sound because it was jubilant. I needed to see who on earth could feel joyful on this rainy Monday.
Peeking around the corner, I see a freckled boy, around ten, clapping perfectly to the beat. His feet shuffled a little dance as his adult shopped the aisle, unaffected. Then, he saw me see him. I smiled a little, and he smiled a little and kept right on clapping. I watched him move on, still clapping, still dancing.
Our Father,
If we pause for a tiny moment, it’s easy to see your amazing goodness in the everyday rhythm of our lives. I pray that we will clap our hands in gratitude like the psalmist says, “let the rivers clap their hands, let the hills sing of their joy together.”
I pray that will be clappers, not curmudgeons! Let us be dancers, not doubters! So take the humble offering of our applause today as our thankfulness for all you’ve done for us.
Let us praise you with the boldness of a child; let our thank you’s be seen and heard as a testimony to others.
Grant, O Lord, that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Dr. Andrea Cook
Mediator, Pastoral Counselor at Andrea Cook and Associates, Inc.