Day 33 | Ridiculous

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  I Peter 1.8-9

 

This past August, we expanded our family from five to seven with the addition of two beautiful budgies named Sunny and Ripple. They chatter and sing, whistle and squawk all day long and we have, for the most part, become immune to their noises. We were sitting down to dinner a few weeks ago and I started to pray before we began to eat. Sunny, the most vocal of the birds, was unusually loud with his song…almost to the point of ridiculousness! It seemed like the more I raised my voice, the more animated his song became.  As I was praying, I could feel the tap of the Spirit on my heart and my prayer turned to this: “Lord, I hear You. This tiny creation, designed by You is doing what he was made to do. His contented, bursting-with-joy song is on the verge of annoying it is so exuberant! Please, Lord, cause me to border on outlandish with my praises of You. Let our family seem foolish to the world because of the glorious joy that is a result of You.”

That moment has stuck with me and I ponder.  Do I revel in the joy of my salvation? Am I giddy with gratefulness because of my relationship with the Master of the Universe? Am I filled with praise in every circumstance? Am I in breath-taking awe of this God that I cannot see but that I know? Do I “annoy” others because my lips speak “too often” of my Savior? Can I sing delight-filled songs simply because He created me?

There is an old-time children’s song that my dad taught me as a little girl:

“The birds upon the treetops sing their song;

The angels chant their chorus all day long;

The flowers in the garden blend their hue,

 So why shouldn’t I, why shouldn’t you praise Him too?”

                                                                  ~Hal Wright

Sweet Savior, Thank You. Thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for being the all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful One. Thank You for the detail and thought that You have put into each of us and for choosing to use us in Your plan. We praise You because You are God. We sing to You because you are the All-in-all. We glorify You because You are. We lift Your name because you are worthy. Help us to be so grateful and mindful and vocal that this world sees us as fools.  Amen.

 

-Sarah Bennor