Every day is another day to demonstrate to God why He created you.
Psalm 100:3-5
Let’s sing a nursery rhyme!
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)
I won’t bother to take up the blog space by repeating the other three verses, but they involve “stomping your feet” and “shouting Hurray“, and then the big finish of “doing all three”!
So what’s this nursery rhyme teaching our kids about being happy?
Well obviously, it’s saying that if you’re happy – show it!
Okay, now that we’ve released our inner child, let’s move to an adult example: If you’re fortunate enough to have a spouse like mine, you’re happy to start each day with a “Good Morning Kiss”.
Why?
Because you want to show your spouse how much you love them and appreciate all they do.
And since most of us can’t read minds (although my wife is pretty good at reading mine), physical acts of affection are probably the surest way to demonstrate to someone that you care.
There are, of course, other ways. As one of my favorite books, Gary Chapman’s Love Languages, details four others: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, and acts of service.
You know, that’s got me to thinking… What would Gary Chapman’s version of our nursery rhyme look like?
Here goes… (I encourage reader participation in this portion of the blog.)
If you’re happy and you know it, kiss your spouse (kiss kiss)
If you’re happy and you know it, hold their hand (squeeze squeeze)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, say “I love you”. (kiss kiss)
(You might have noticed that I snuck in some more kisses!)
I’m not totally sure how Gary would feel about turning his book into a nursery rhyme, but I think he would be okay with it. 🙂
So what’s the common theme of our children and adult nursery rhymes?
Action!! If you want someone to know how you feel, do something!
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verse is from one of the shortest chapters in the book of Psalms. Perhaps that’s because King David knew that it doesn’t take a lot of words to tell us that we should be confident that God made us and we should praise His name.
When I read the Bible, I’m led to look at the sentence structure. Maybe that’s because I’m a “word geek” but it’s what I often do.
For example, there’s a couple of action words here that I’d like to point out.
“Give thanks” and “Praise his name“.
Do you think that the God that made you deserves some “thanks and praise”?
While you’re thinking about that question (it shouldn’t take long), rest assured that God doesn’t need to be reminded why He made you. He doesn’t need to be told that He is the creator of the entire world and that He knows all about you – your good and your bad, your ups and your downs.
He knows.
So why should we do it?
It’s all about worship and praise. (Remember our nursery rhymes?)
The Tiny Words. Big Life. takeaway is this: Pray that your love and appreciation for God is above all others. Honor God by taking time to meditate on nothing but your love for Him. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to show everyone how much you love God.
So, I guess I’d better wrap up this post and get back to speaking one of my wife’s Love Languages…
Which brings up a question…
Does “taking her fishing” count as an “Act of Service”?
Psalm 100:3-5
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.