Exuberant Joy

They arrived right from a 4 year-old birthday party in Chicago which might explain part of it, but Ethan was filled with exuberant joy almost his entire recent visit.

He was filled to overflowing with happiness; he was with four of his favorite adults. Of course, having four adults paying attention to you most of the time might have had something to do with it too.

There were moments when it seemed he couldn’t contain his joy and he would throw his head back, as only four year olds can do, and crow with happiness and excitement.

His joy filled me with happiness. I wanted to throw my head back and crow too. His energy, running all over the yard helping Grandma weed, or gathering grass and pine needles to “build us a nest” energized me as well.

It was about then that the other adults cautioned us to “settle down” and reprimanded Grandma for getting Ethan too excited.

One of the memories I want Ethan to have about coming to Grandma and Grandpa’s is that this is a place where he can be free to express himself with joy. I want him to be able to crow with excitement, but I also understand the need for boundaries.

Later that weekend we all went to the County Fair and watched the demolition derby. I don’t know why this so appeals to sedate, normally somewhat inhibited Bill and me, but we love to watch these old wrecks crash into each other. We yell ourselves hoarse, we laugh with uninhibited loudness right along with everyone else in the stands.

At first Ethan was worried that the drivers would get hurt, but after his daddy explained how the cars had been modified to make them safe, he yelled and laughed right along with the rest of us. Once again he was filled with joy.

When we left the stands later that day, we were tired but it was that good tired from freely expressing ourselves for a few hours.

I can’t help but contrast that day with one just a week or so earlier when Bill and I had gone to a Christian concert. I had anticipated an opportunity to express joy, to be able to let out my emotions without the usual restraint, but it never happened. The performers (usually exuberant) seemed to be too tired (perhaps too many days on the road) and the audience was quieter and more subdued than we expected. Oh some people tried to express themselves, but it seemed forced and artificial to me.

God created us with the full range of emotions and I suspect He longs for us to express them all. Some of my best “quiet times” with Him are when I let my emotions loose. Times when I can cry from either deep sorrow or deep joy. Times when I can laugh from deep within because I cannot contain my joy and delight. I think God even wants us to rage from time to time, and then be open to His teaching us the way out of our rage.

My times of uninhibited emotion with God are all too few. They can’t be artificial; God only wants the real thing. Too often I hear the voices telling me to “settle down”, to not get “too excited”. While there is certainly a time and a place for our free expression, I need to find those safe places where I can be alone with God and express myself, just to Him.

May all of you find a place of uninhibited joy this week.