The day started with a really good message on joy from my Pastor Mike (just because I’m a pastor doesn’t mean I don’t need one too) – he shared this wise observation that God likely won’t give you more joy if you aren’t taking in the joy he’s already set before you (sort of like pearls before swine). Good start to living and practicing joy.
It was a sunny, warm Father’s Day today and I wanted to head for the mountains. So after church and lunch, we hustled off to Kananaskis (a local area in the Rocky Mountains) and went to Elbow Falls. After checking out the falls and soaking our feet in the icy runoff, we settled down on some rocks beside the river. With the kids tossing rocks (which they can do endlessly – Owen said that was the best part of his day, which get us back to a child’s/God’s capacity to exult in repetition and monotony – see yesterday’s post), I was mesmerized by the water. At this time of year, the river runs high and fast and it was magical – the water was glistening and glinting in the afternoon sun, constantly moving, and I was amazed at the sheer volume of water that runs by me in one minute, the seemingly endless supply of this water.
It became a metaphor of joy (2 Corinthians 2:8 gives the picture of the overflowing joy in the Corinthians), a refreshing flow of glistening life streaming over me, through me, over-flowing, cascading, carving out the hard, rocky places of my life. And it made me thirsty for more.
And here are a few images I took of the swirling, chugging, glinting water at Elbow Falls (I love how the sun on the water almost looks like sparks), but I think they also might be portraits of joy for me.
Squinch 