And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Mark 1:11 (NLT)
We had a wonderful, crazy, busy weekend in California celebrating birthdays of some of my favorite people. With never an idle moment the entire weekend, Saturday dawned bright and warm to celebrate Allie’s fifth birthday. A pool party with all of her buddies meant that we decorated, ran food and drinks back and forth from the house, snapped pictures of all the key moments, and cleaned up after all the festivities. Home for a quick shower and change, a stop at the stables to watch Kate and Tori show off their riding prowess, and then off to Lodi for a surprise party for my friend who turned 70. We’ve been friends for forty years and the stories we can tell on each other. Don’t ask. However, this was just one day’s adventure. Multiply that by three.
As we flew home yesterday, I finally had a few moments to catch up on my Bible reading. The familiar stories in the New Testament (finally made it) washed over me like a breath of fresh air. As I read the story of Jesus’ baptism three times in its chronological order, it dawned on me that God, the Father, is saying the same thing about me, his daughter, as He said to Jesus. I am dearly loved, and I bring Him great joy. That’s pretty amazing!
Even though it was a mad dash, nothing makes me happier than time spent with family and friends. Imagine how our heavenly Father feels when we seek out time with Him? We bring Him great joy. Even when the schedule is frantic, make time to sit at the feet of Jesus. You’ll be refreshed.