Cup O’ Joy

 In Ordinary Places

John 1:16
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.’ NIV

      If you’ve never met Emily, you don’t know what you’ve missed. She’s an eight-year-old bundle of exuberance. Just to gaze on her fair skinned, freckled face makes me bubble over with joy. Her smile is broad, showing pearly white teeth, and deep dimples adding to her beauty. Golden locks of hair swept up and to one side of her head contained by a ponytail holder finish ‘her look.’

      Emily’s joy is contagious. She makes me feel like a child… forever young, uninhibited, and free.

      I recently had the pleasure of attending a field trip with her to the Oklahoma Aquarium. We touched stingrays, viewed live octopus with tentacles attached to the thick glass separating them from us. We watched jellyfish, and stood in a tunnel watching live shark swimming above and around us. Tiny sea horses were a delight for any age. Sea turtles lay lazily beneath huge rocks. We even found ‘Nemo’, much to Emily’s delight.

      During lunch together, we rested and swapped golden moments; sharing favorites we had seen during our tour. My favorite had been the sharks and their graceful maneuvers. Emily had a hard time deciding on a favorite, but finally decided she liked the jellyfish, and the rockfish. The latter owning up to their name…. it took us a while to find them because they blended in with the rocks.

      On the bus ride home, Emily pondered on the things we’d seen, but her biggest concern was that I had a good time. Of course my reply to her, “Any time that I spend with you is a good time.” “Oh good, “ she replied. I’m so glad you had fun!”

      We sang songs as the rest of the children joined in. We tested the kids to see what they had learned from the trip, and threw in a few extra questions simply to test their knowledge. 

      A bit tired, I relaxed as I watched my grandchild interact with the other children; saw the love and respect they had for one another…and I thanked God for the cup of joy I found in ordinary places, one tiny blessing after another.

© 2005 Marie Williams