d
v
vr)
n.
Hearty enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit
[French : joie, joy + de, of + vivre, to live, living.]
As I have had the gift of seeing friends this weekend, I keep telling people that as I continue to grieve and process all that has happened in Boston, the only response I know is to savor the present as much as I can. Each day there have been different triggers that bring tears to my eyes, and I can't predict what will bring it on--- an email from a friend, a song, a flash of a memory from last Monday, the realization of how fragile life is, a profound sense of gratitude.....
Below are some of the gifts this weekend that fit the definition of Joie de Vivre...
a glorious day in Susanne's backyard
gathered together with the prayer group I was in when I was in Knoxville,
we sang this song at lunch together on Saturday:
For the life that You have given
For the love of Christ made know
With these fruits of time and labor
With these gifts that are your own
Here we offer, Lord, our praises
heart, and mind and strength we bring.
Give us grace to love and serve you-
living what we pray and sing...
In each darkness, cloud and fire
In the quiet, as words retire
in our lost and best desires
God is there
Not for what we are or do
No for what we've journeyed through
But for all you call us to,
God be there...
(hymn sung this morning at church)
so happy to be back at St. John's this morning
It is time to go and be His witnesses.
And as we go we pray that the Lord would bless us and keep us,
the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us.
May God give us grace never to sell ourselves short,
grace to risk something big for something good,
grace to realize that the world is much too small for anything but
love,
and much too dangerous for anything but truth.
And now may God take our minds and think through them,
and may God take our lips and speak through them,
and may God take our hearts and set them on fire.
In the name of Jesus Christ who goes with us always. Amen.
-benediction at St. John’s Lutheran
sweet reunion...
No comments:
Post a Comment