My grandson’s birthday was this week. It’s kinda surreal that four years have passed since he was born. Time slow down, right? HIs birthday fell on a Tuesday, which is the day we normally spend together “learning science.” We sometimes slide a little learning in, but for the most parts the days are spent with me digging in the dirt and him doing “experiments,” and both of us settling before nap to a cup of tea and peanut butter crackers. Often, he has to be bathed before his parents pick him up. Yea, we have that much fun.
But this week for his birthday, I wanted to do something different. Restrictions and the lack of control of the coronavirus altered plans of which we would normally partake…going to the library or the movies. The best laid plans of mice AND MEN have definitely gone awry in 2020.
We decided to go downtown for what we thought would be cupcakes and coffee. The cupcake place was closed, so it was just coffee. Then we found ice cream, so the altered plans were not so bad. I think the most enjoyable moments of the day were that we, or he, danced around the water fountains. He loved the water fountains!
Celebrating his birthday in the middle of a pandemic posed quite the challenge. There were no huge gatherings, no elaborate parties, no grandiose celebrations. None of the usual things occurred. But this kid still danced around the water fountains. He dipped his hands in the water (and yes I literally scrubbed them off cleaning them afterward), picked up acorns that were also sanitized by MeMa, and just danced around the water fountains. To look at him would show no signs of a anything wrong in the world.
Oh, the lessons here! We should all admit. The weight of everything that’s going on is taxing to say the least. Some days it gets the best of me. Getting out of bed with a positive outlook has become my biggest challenge. The continued pandemic, social unrest, civil injustices, and political chaos is enough to put the soul at unease. Anxieties and uncertainties float round my head every morning waiting to direct the day.
There is also this mounting pressure to get things back to “normal”. Countless energy is spent to resume activities like we used to. That in itself is also quite taxing. Could it be that YHWH is inviting us to dance around the water fountains?
Divisions, hypocrisy, injustice and unrest fill the air. We feel it around us. It saturates the internet and now even dominates our private conversation. I’ve had to take somewhat of a hiatus from some social media outlets. My soul needs a break from it.
But, watching this kid on this week sparked my soul and spirit in a different way. A nudging sensed from YHWH to just dance around the water fountains. Scripturally sound? I think so!
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice.
In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Chaos, disruption and pandemonia it seems will be the norm for a while. Masks and socially distancing are part of our daily wardrobe. Political upheaval will be a while in settling. Social injustices will not be corrected overnight. The fight must continue!
But, we can still dance around the water fountains!
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