“Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. For Jehovah is good; His lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations.” Psalm 100 (ASV)
My kitties make me so happy. Each one has certain habits that just put a smile on my face. Delilah loves a stuffed animal we have on our bed, and every night she comes to snuggle with me and that stuffed bunny. Tigger has gotten into the habit of jumping onto the arm of the chair where I sit to watch TV. He’ll stay there and let me pet him for a very long time; he even insists of being touched if I stop. Sammy asks to play by sitting near a favorite toy and meowing until I pick it up and play with him. I love to watch them all when they are watching the world outside our windows. We have plenty of birds and squirrels to keep them busy for hours.
There’s nothing productive about watching my kitties, or playing with them, or snuggling with them, or petting them in front of the television. Yet, those are the best moments of my day, and I know that we are all healthier and happier because of those moments. Simple pleasures like those moments remind us that there is far more to life than working and cleaning and accomplishing something.
What are the simple pleasures that bring joy to your life? Who are the people that make you smile? What makes you laugh? Have you ever had the experience of discovering something you remember from your childhood at the grocery store? A recent trend of Facebook has been to post pictures of things from ‘the olden days’ with the comment “Like if you remember using one of these.” A friend posted a silly thing we used to buy at the local store, packs of pictures with gum. The picture reminded me of simpler times and old friends.
It is so good to be thankful for those simple things, but it is even better to be thankful for the greatest gift. We are God’s people. That doesn’t seem like much, especially to those who do not believe that there is even a God. However, God is active in our world today, continually creating and recreating the world for His glory. In the flowers, our relationships and even our kitties and memories, God manifests His love for us in tangible ways we can see and experience with joy. When we look for God in the simplest of pleasures and sing for joy with thanksgiving and praise, we’ll experience the grace that God has for us in the most unusual places.
