The Light of God's Love

I love to watch the sunlight dance on the water.  The water lies gently sloshing about, stirred by the wind, and the ducks, and the boats in the distance that send ripples out in all directions.  It is pleasant, and pretty, and just watching is often enough to soothe my soul, and invite peace into my troubled heart.  The sound is comforting too, and when I am still and no one else is around, I can hear the sound of the birds, and the bugs, and the water bumping up against drift wood.  I can feel the muscles in my shoulders relax, my heart rate slow down, and my self importance drift away.  Its a truly peaceful place and it makes me happy.  Then, from behind the clouds, the sun pops out and makes the water become alive.  Wherever the sunlight touches the water the movement becomes dance, the diamonds that light up the surface like a million stars.  The peace I am feeling moves over to make room for the joy that bubbles up in me.  I was here to see the water touched by God, and it makes me want to dance too.  The goofy grin is a given, the laughter that wells up in me escapes, and I am quite a sight for any unsuspecting fishermen. 

I have often experienced this feeling on the shores of Kentucky Lake, it is one of my favorite ways to renew.  Unlike the things I have to understand intuitively, or intellectually, or accept by faith,  that one is just experiential.  That one I get, not because I know what is happening, but because I have experienced it happening time and time again.  Every once in a great while God has blessed me with the opportunity to share this experience with others, and that has been even a deeper joy.  When joy is shared it multiplies.

Today, a long way from the water, and in a typically intellectual setting,  the light of God's love burst through and caught me entirely by surprise.  I was listening to a speaker, and enjoying the delivery and the message, relaxing and being so grateful for the time away.  Much like the water, I was listening to words, and calmed by their impact, when the Sonlight  peek from behind a cloud and made them alive.  It was a good message anyway, but when the light of God's love transformed them, I was filled with joy again and I wanted to dance. 

I like to be entertained, and I like to be entertaining.  I enjoy getting to speak or preach when invitations come, and I have always been glad when God has used me to speak to someone.  I am always happy when someone says they learned something new.  I am content if I have been able to hold some one's attention, or kept them awake.  Now I am less satisfied.   I want to share that life giving joy with others, while we watch the light of God's love make dazzling diamonds dance where there were once just words.  If we are given the opportunity to be agents of transformation, why would we settle for knowledge?  Why would we be content with attentiveness?  Why would we settle with entertainment?  I hunger to see the words I am given become alive and bring the light of God in waves of joy, and peace, and love.

I plan on watching the water dance more often.  It's such a blessing, it seems silly to allow busyness to keep me from peace and joy.   I am praying that God will allow the words I speak to reach others with the same life giving opportunity for transformation.  What fun to watch for big goofy grins and hear the laughter bubble up.  Oh Lord, even me.