Dear Ones,
Don’t you just love being covered with paint?! Do you just wake up sometimes wondering what kind of wildness you can get into in a day!? Well you know that as one of the elders of this group, of course I NEVER do that…except sometimes! I was visiting with one of my daughters and my niece last week. Both were major schemers and developers of the original Pirate Day. I remember the day well. We did all the dress ups, games, shenanigans and walking the plank that was appropriate for the day. All was well and a great time was had by all, until one of my children needed a tetanus shot in the middle of this magic moment. There I was, beautifully clothed as a pirate, a very wet pirate who had walked the plank. Pirate make up ran down my face and my outfit was soaked, but I thought it would be a great adventure to go to the Health Department and pep up their day a bit. How many pirates do they get at the Health Department in a year?!
Needless to say my child was not so amused. But I was ready for the adventure. We walked in and one or two eyebrows did rise, but the most fun thing was that the lady that checked us in looked up, broke out in a huge grin and said, “Hi Anne, what brings you here today?” I thought about saying, “A hostile takeover,” but then wondered….do I dress like this more often than I’m aware?! We had a good chat and got the shot and headed back to camp for the rest of the day’s antics. But here’s what I want to leave you with: Live joy, be silly, make someone smile. Be intentional about doing things that feed your soul. Be a source of joy and fun for others. PLAY, and surround yourself with people who bring you joy as well! This has been a long season of intensity, hardship and for some, real suffering. So friends, joy takes intentionality. Know that each of you carries the Spirit of Christ. Have you ever thought about this? Is there any moaning and groaning in heaven? Are people in heaven walking around steeped in anxiety and fear? Nope! ALL IS WELL IN THE KINGDOM. And what we forget is that the Kingdom is here-NOW-because we each carry the King!
So don’t take yourself so seriously. Years ago I heard a story of a 4 yr old boy who told his mom that he didn’t sleep because he was worried about the light bill. WHAT!? His mom told him that was not his to worry about. His father was the one who paid the light bill. This little boy was distraught. When I look at the last 2 years I see so much of this! Life is too short to carry a load you were never intended to carry. It’s already been carried for us.
At my age, I am closer to where I am going than where I’ve been. I don’t want to waste a moment and I don’t want you to either. Be intentional in the way you live and in the way you love. Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence. He’s here, He’s not sleeping, and He loves US and all the nonsense we can come up with that returns us to a simple laughter and joy. He’s got the heavy stuff. As for us, let’s seek joy, pursue joy and BE JOY. And by the way, our favorite things to do are all the wild and crazy things we do with YOU!
Blessings,
Anne
