Pure joy...

We have a habit-trail. It's the street in our city that we most frequently drive on, heading north to my mom's, the grocery store, the bank, or church and then heading back south to our neighborhood, our home. And all too frequently, at one of the many red lights that we must stop at on this street, we are parked next to some car full of young people, with the stereo bass so loud that it literally vibrates and shakes our car. But not on this day. It was a warm sunny day in our city, but not so warm that air conditioning was needed. So husband and I were headed south, back to our house, with the windows of the car down, allowing the fresh air and sunshine in. We pulled up to a red light and heard music coming from the car next to us. It wasn't the earth shaking boom, boom, boom of the bass, but this, "Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest...Lord, we lift up Your name, with our hearts full of praise. Be exalted oh Lord, our God, hosanna in the highest." We turned to look, and there she sat in the driver's seat, a little Asian lady with stereo blasting, stopped at a red light, singing and clapping with full abandon, unashamed, oblivous to the stares as she worshipped God. It is forever etched in my mind as an example of pure joy.

Sunday, the words of a worship song smote my heart. I was overwhelmed with Jesus, the beauty of Who He is and His love for me. I had to make a choice, worship with abandon, or worry about who heard, who saw, what someone else thought. I didn't want attention on me, but I just had to respond. When I did, I had one of the most profoundly personal moments with Him that I have ever had. Glorious. Pure joy.