This morning, to my absolute joy, autumn hung in the air. Suspended, it invaded each pore of my skin as my children and I galloped along on our walk.
Oh, the joy of it! Crisp, lovely air! Although autumn brings with it the promise of long, dark, cold days, in the very moment of its presence, it also provides something so sweet - the knowledge that I can now exert myself as much as I want without overheating in the warm air.
And so I tromped through that glorious understanding today, up one hill and down another, reveling in the last dance of summer before a new season took over completely. One more performance, before the curtain call. The flowers still bloom, the leaves haven't all faded - and yet that 'brisk' in the air tells it all. Autumn is coming! Autumn is here! For a brief several days, the two seasons will share the stage before summer subsides completely, and I love it - it delights me!
This bountiful feeling rang in my heart as I sat down to study later in the morning. And I came across several sentences which, when tied together, speak for the kind of joy I cling to most of all.
"At God's right hand are pleasures forevermore," says the Bible, reminding me of the incessant joy I can expect upon reaching heaven. But then, in an odd quirk, I read another verse about God's right hand. "Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father."
Do you see how those two verses play off each other? Perhaps I can begin to experience that "incessant joy" way down here, on faded old earth. If pleasures forervermore are really at God's right hand, well, look at that - those pleasures must be found in Jesus, because He's already there! And lo and behold, I've already found Jesus - so therefore, let the delighting begin!!
It's a beautiful thing to stumble across a connection like this, because it makes the rest of my day sort of glisten. I've been going about my day sort of smiling on the inside. It's as though I get to taste two worlds at once today, and not just two seasons. Sure, I look forward to eternal delight in heaven, but now I see it - here on earth, even as the act's about to close, I can savor the beginnings of that delight in the person and presence of Jesus. It's so beautiful, so generous ... so delightful! And now all that remains remains is to dive in, experience Him for all that He's worth, and say thanks to the One who created me to long for Him in the first place. Nothing, no one, can please me more - and so I dive in, grateful for whatever delights He brings my way through His presence. Thank You, God, for this day. I love You.
Amen.
BONUS! Two other quotes on pleasure that seem to go well together.
"There is no pleasure comparable to not being captivated by any external thing whatever." (Thomas Wilson, 1663-1735).
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
