Simple Delight? Part 2

This entry continues with the story behind how we selected Simple Delight as the name of our web site.  The key to a life filled with delight is to invest in deep and meaningful relationships. I'd love to hear from you so please log in to leave comments.

I think of delight as the primary emotion in the first moments of our lives.  I was there in the labor room to welcome our first child.  Excitement filled the room as the crown appeared.  Beautiful black hair!  Then the rest of the head, followed quickly by the body.  All 19 inches and 6.5 lb’s of delight.  Pictures of his first utterance, first steps, playing ball, riding a bicycle flashed in my mind’s eye. This is my son.  My own flesh and blood.  

For the Lord your God is living among you.     He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness.     With his love, he will calm all your fears.     He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.  (Zeph 3:17)

The picture here is the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe expressing His ineffable (too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words) love for you and me with dancing and singing.  It’s a picture of joyful abandonment.  In context of relationships delight is usually accompanied by affection and pleasure.  

When Jesus was baptized, Papa’s voice boomed from the sky, “This is my Son, The Beloved, in whom I am delighted.” (Matt 3:17)

Imagine the Papa’s delight when you came into this world.  Even as the nurse cleans you up and swaddles you snug, Papa announces to the Hosts of Heaven, “That’s my boy,” or “that’s my princess.”  Oh, He has such hopes and dreams for the each of us. Do you believe you are the apple of His eye, His Beloved?  

I confess that it has been a long journey for me to believe and accept the reality that Papa delights in me. I have been so accustomed to self-rejection or even hatred that I just couldn’t believe that Papa would delight in me.  Theologically I know He loves me and sent Jesus to die for me, but I am not so sure that He likes me.  Then one day I had a moment of clarity.  His delight in me is more about who He is than what I have done or can ever do.  For God is Love and this delight is not based on my behavior or performance.  It is based on our relational connection. He is my daddy and I am His son.

Even as you read this blog my prayer is that you will experience His delight for you like a cool breeze on a hot summer night.

I believe our hearts are wired to respond to delight with gratitude and delight.

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps 37:4) 

In my younger days the focus was more on the getting part.  I had a long list of desires.  I confused God with Santa.  Perhaps you have too. The more I have come to know Papa and experience His love and goodness, the more I find myself more grateful, more able to enjoy His presence without thinking about my list or my circumstances.  Although we are commanded here to delight in the Lord irrespective of our circumstances, I realized that the more I choose to delight in Him the more grace I have to overcome difficulties, and more peace and joy I experience in my own life.

Delight is at its best in the context of reciprocating relationships where giving is done without any strings attached.  

I’ve been married for over 30 years now and I have gotten better at delighting in my wife -- in her fierce love for our children, in her uncanny ability to bring the best out of me and her tenacity to stick by her friends.  I also delight in buying her sweets. She loves sweets like a little child.  

We are not talking about licking Salt and Straw ice cream in the heat of summer or dipping in the water of the Carribean on a holiday.  True delight is always the product of meaningful connections and deeply committed relationships. It’s not just watching a sunset with your lover but knowing you can watch every sunset together for the rest of your lives.  

We experience delight at all because Papa first delighted in us.  This is Papa’s nature and He is the ultimate Giver.  As I grow to give selflessly, to serve others without expecting anything in return, to be generous with my time and money, I experience more delight.  Giving and delight are like inseparable friends that are energized by each other.  This is why the Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive.  

So we picked Simple Delight to remind us what life is all about.  To live simply and experience delight in meaningful relationships all the days of our lives.  We want to help people to come into the same reality.  

For your reflection:

1.  When was the last time you experience God’s delight?  Set aside a few quiet moments to meditate on Zeph 3:17 and ask Papa to come show you.

2. Surprise someone special in your life with a gift of a warm hug or a gesture of delight.