Joy Discovered – Devotion 29 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Leo has been my key to discovering joy. He has such a vibrant personality and finds excitement in what I would consider the dullest things. He loves to chase bugs, most of which he will never catch. He finds pleasure in making lizards run around the yard. If he finds a way, he will take something of yours and run around the house with it just to get you to chase him. He doesn’t really want whatever it is, he just wants to see you work for it. It makes him happy to be chased. If you haven’t guessed, Leo is our 2 year old baby which also happens to be a dog.

Recently we discovered something else that Leo loves. Water is his new friend. When we put water in the container outside, it is difficult to get any water in there because he is biting at it and putting his whole head in the stream. He absolutely is all in when it comes to water. My mom decided to hook up a sprinkler for him (yes, he has everyone doing something for him – he’s cute like that). I cannot explain the joy he found with this new toy. He chased the water round and round. He jumped to reached it. He ran up to it to take in the full experience. He would back off and observe what was happening, and then jump back in for more.

I don’t just see my dog running through a sprinkler. I see one of God’s creation finding such joy in the simple experience of chasing water. When we watch him, his joy is contagious. We laugh and find ourselves joyful through him. It is a beautiful shared time. And it is found in something so simple. All the parts of this joyful experience have been there all along. We didn’t realize it until Leo.

What joys are we missing? What could be right around us just bursting forth with joy that we haven’t even noticed? May God open up the possibilities of joy to experienced. And may we dance in the sprinklers.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 148

¹Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!

³Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
⁶He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.^[a]

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
⁸fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!

⁹Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
¹⁰Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
¹²Young men and women alike,
old and young together!

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
¹⁴He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!

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