To Laugh with the Lord

Weariness tainted my week. The deconstruction going on across the street from my home has filled our days and ears from seven in the morning, until the early evening hours.   

In our little forested area, the unaccustomed noise rumbled from bulldozers, dump trucks and graters to bounce into our home and smash against the trunks of the fir trees. The continual beep, beep, beep jangled and stretched my nerves to the breaking point. There were even times when I felt the entire house tremble, as heavy equipment slammed hard against the monstrous asphalt and gravel mountain they had created.

Even though I tried to spend some quiet time with the Lord, I felt totally distracted.

“It isn’t that I don’t want to spend time with You,” I wailed to my heavenly Father. “It just that I can’t keep my mind focused the way my heart longs to. ” I reached for my devotional book and turned the pages. “Lord, I’m trying,” I whispered, as I found the day’s date: July 25th.

The very first sentence captured me: As you listen to birds calling to one another hear also my love-call to you. Startled, I read it again even as the trucks slammed and grunted, screaming their everlasting, “Beep, beep, beep.”  

As you listen to birds calling to one another, hear also my love-call to you?!

It was so unexpected.  I stopped (I could feel God smiling) and then I laughed out loud as recognition of God’s humor bubbled up inside me. “You have some mighty big birds, God,” I gasped, “and oh, how I love your sense of humor. What joy there is to laugh with You!"

“I praise You for Your creativity, Your joy and Your love for me. You are my strength--everything I need and I delight in You!”

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.  ~Nehemiah 8:10