Delight

Delight. What a broad spectrum of moments delight me. What a gift from God.

For Christmas, my sister gave me a cupcake stand I have wanted for a few years. I was excited on Christmas when I opened the package. Then, when I made cupcakes for our small group a few weeks ago — fun, fun — the time came to assemble the little cream-colored kitchen accessory. 

When I opened the package, out came not only the swirly cupcake spots arranged in tiers, but a handy dandy little tool. A shiny little silver crescent wrench in Barbie — or GI Joe action figure — proportions. Pretty funny. I have to credit God with a good giggle fit. Not a deep moment, but delightful.

In the Bible, God shares a lot of different facts, or perspectives, about delight. We can learn in God’s Word what delights Him, how Christ delighted crowds with His teaching (Mark 12:37 NLT), that we as His followers delight in Him, and, sadly, what delights the wicked.

With right priorities, this emotion brings something important to the tables of our lives with the One who made us. It signals what matters to us.

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

So, it’s good to pray for delight, and in my ladies’ small group, we were encouraged to do just that. God answered me in two especially loving ways.

Rewind to fall of the year 2000. Our daughter, Daphne, was two years old, and I was preparing to leave her, her sister, Jess, and their dad for the weekend. I was leaving for our church’s women’s retreat I had helped plan. But a serious illness got in the way.

Ultimately, I took Daphne to the hospital, learning after a spinal tap, that she had a serious blood infection, and that some cases of meningitis had been popping up in our area. God our Healer, using a wonderful team of physicians and medicine, protected her. No meningitis. And after just a few days, no more blood infection, either. Praise Him!

Back to our life today. At Christmas in the Taste & See blog I challenged readers to donate to Compassion International from a list of donation choices the organization provides for special gifts at Christmas. I chose a vaccine-related gift and made a small donation. (Glad that He multiplies the fish.)

Then in a thank-you e-mail from the people at Compassion International a few weeks ago, I learned my Compassion giving for vaccination was used specifically to vaccinate people overseas against meningitis. The gift and connection to my daughter’s illness warmed my heart; it delighted me.

And another delight arose. During spring break the last two years our family participated in Mission Navajo at Prairie Ridge Church, Ankeny, Iowa. (www.ridgelife.org) This year will make year three, though my husband will not be able to go with us. Right away after I prayed for God to delight me, my son, David’s, teacher called to volunteer and get the third-grade kids involved in Mission Navajo. Go, God!

This wise, caring educator, in our public school, heard my Navajo friend speak to her class, learned about the needs and our trip, and saw the kids’ passion. Then she reached out to coordinate donations the kids will be bringing. Of course, it’s a public school, so they won’t be collecting Bibles. But God can and will indeed use this teacher’s initiative and the children’s and their families’ love and generosity.

What a refreshing gift delight makes.



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