1 Chronicles 16:27
Splendor and majesty are before him; 
strength and joy are in his place. (CSB)

Majestic splendor emanates from him, 
he is the source of strength and joy. (NET)

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I love the joy songs of Christmas. I’m not feeling particularly joyful this morning, however. For the second day in a row, I got up at 4:30. The reason this morning was our black dog. She does not like stormy weather. Somewhere in the distance, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. She knew I would want to know. 

I heard the rain begin a couple of hours beforehand. I heard it intensify. However, as rain events go, this was a fairly tame one. Millie the Black Dog was concerned things might become more exciting, and she knew I would want to be prepared. This led her to enter our bedroom, find my hand as it lay uncovered on the side of the bed, and give me a nudge and a lick. 

I pushed her away only to have her repeat her gentle alert. I then sat up in bed, turned off my CPAP, took off my mask, and followed her to the bedroom door, which I closed behind her. Returning to bed and strapping myself back into my breathing apparatus, I laid down and resumed my comfortable position curled just so beneath the covers.

Then MBD (Millie Black Dog) knocked over something upstairs that landed with a thud. I sat up again, removed my mask, and toddled upstairs to see what she had done. A child safety gate used to keep the dogs from interrupting Zoom meetings was lying on the floor. She walks around this item dozens of times a day without incident. I’m guessing the thud from the current position of the gate was a form of protest against my return to bed.

There was no returning to bed at this point. There was only the decision of when to take a nap to catch up on my sleep. 

Vacation is supposed to be a time of rest from regular routines. It is alarmless. It comes with kinder and gentler bedtimes, nap times, and shifted schedules. MBD aligns herself with this alternate reality as long as she still gets to eat at 6:30 and as long as it doesn’t thunder. 

Although I did not arise in a state of joy, I know where to go to find it. My hymnal and the Bible point the way. King David reminds us that God is our source of strength and joy. Even as I sit here cheated out of another hour of close communion with my pillow, I can smile a knowing smile. There is more joy in reserve awaiting my discovery than the combined measure I have known in my lifetime. It is ready and retrievable. I know where to go to get it. 

In fact, I may have an early lunch leading to an early nap. The very thought gives me joy. 

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I will experience joy even when I am inconvenienced.

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Our Father, thank you for joy, the resilient cheerfulness anchored in your goodness. Thank you for deep rest, strategic naps, and good dogs. Thank you for storehouses stuffed full of joy awaiting my requisition and multiplying through my restored disposition. You give me joy! Amen.