Psalm 116:12-15 
What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. (NIV)

What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me? I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God! I’ll pray in the name of God; I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do, and I’ll do it together with his people. When they arrive at the gates of death, God welcomes those who love him. (MSG)

—

The sun rose early over the desert this morning. The air is full of birdsong and chattering twitters. Bunnies and quail and doves and pigeons greet the day with the activities of the day before the sun becomes too hot to handle. Fresh ground coffee stimulates alertness. 

It’s a good day well begun.

Our curly-haired granddaughter with her big blue eyes is up and ready to go. We will go to the farmer’s market for fruit after breakfast. Right now, she and her grandmother are watching the videos we took yesterday of the helicopters dropping water on the fires nearby. Helicopter is her new favorite word.

My mother gave me a coffee mug when I was in high school. It features an ostrich with  its head in the sand. It says on one side, “Somebody’s gotta do the dirty work!” The other side says, “I’m somebody.” I drink from this mug this morning since our son has always enjoyed it and makes good use of it. He and his bride are on the East Coast looking at the home they purchased online last week. We are here on the West Coast with our beautiful and perky granddaughter. We got the better assignment.

This has been a hard week in so many ways. The news has been full of evil. How could we not grieve the deaths, the lives abused, and leaders who refuse to take responsibility for their harmful behavior? 

Today, however, this morning in particular, reminds us of what is good and wholesome and wonderful about life. A grandmother and her granddaughter are reviewing memories in photographs and videos. Soon we will breakfast and play at the park. Then it will be off to the farmer’s market for fresh fruit and maybe some ice cream. After lunch, we will nap. 

This is a good day to remember what makes life worth living. This is a good day to raise a toast to God. There is much hard work ahead of us. There are difficult problems to solve and safeguards to erect to prevent further failure. In this moment, however, let us enjoy moments of respite, eternity captured in a moment, time standing still as a tiny blonde commands the universe to experience joy.

—

I will celebrate all of God’s goodness that drives away the darkness.

—

Our Father, how good you are! Thank you for sunny days and morning coffee. Thank you for granddaughters and chipmunks. Thank you for laughter and curls. Thank you for how this world will end in justice and grace shaped by your perfect love. Thank you for the endless hallelujah to come. Thank you for filling this moment with preemptive eternity. Amen.