I Love A Parade
I hope this year our parades for Independence Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are bigger than we’ve ever had as we celebrate being American and coming through these dark days together. We need to celebrate. We need to be proud. But perhaps, more importantly, we just need a parade.
There is something magical that happens between the crowd and the parade participants. At first, the anticipation grows for the start of the parade, then the parade begins … and a lump develops in our throats. We’re grateful for the chance to shout or clap as a band goes by, giving us time to swallow that lump. Then it happens. For each of us, it’s different. For some it is a clown, for others, it’s the sight of marching bands or the fire truck that takes us by surprise. The magic happens—we've become little children again. Within our big bodies, we feel all the emotions children around us are experiencing and we are one with them, transported back to a time when we lived with innocent joy.
One summer, I experienced through the eyes of a child what pure and innocent joy in the Lord must look like to God. We had a group of twenty-seven children participating in a praise and worship workshop in which they learned all forms of worship beginning with liturgical dance. It wasn’t long before I realized several of them were not too comfortable with this form of praise. I left to get the snack ready and before too long a very excited group of children came running in. As I scooped ice cream into a little boy's bowl, I asked how He liked praising God this way. With a smile that lit up the room he exclaimed, "I want to come back here every day for the next 400 years!" The transformation had taken place in just an hour as this child discovered the unbridled joy of praising God with his whole heart and body.
Perhaps you are like me and you’ve become too ‘adult’ when it comes to praising God and offering Him unbridled worship. I am not advocating immaturity, but I’ve come to realize that I’m often too worried about what others may think. I’m worried about standing out or looking foolish. I’m not very coordinated and have absolutely no rhythm, so clapping with the beat is not easy. But who cares? Did God care how that little boy danced? I know He didn’t. I’m reminded about King David, who danced with joy when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to the Temple–David was in his underwear! Yet, God loved his heart-felt whole body worship. God loved that parade of joy.
To praise God fully, I’ve learned to allow the music or the sunset or the cry of a newborn to become the whistle that signals the beginning of the parade in my heart. I welcome that lump to grow in my throat and the tears come to my eyes as I anticipate the ushering in of my Lord. I resist the urge to look around, to think of myself or others. I stay right there—in the moment. I allow the rush to overcome me and I have begun to allow myself to raise my hands, to move my feet, to clap or dance, or to sing off-key. I engage my whole self in praising God.
And when I do this, just as God has promised, joy floods my soul. It is a parade in my heart for the One who deserves all praise and honor and glory. Try it. The next time you are in worship, or the next time God takes your breath away in a sunrise or by witnessing some act of kindness, stop and listen for the whistle. The parade is about to begin. Joy is on its way.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name”
(Psalm 66:1-4 NIV).
When was the last time you allowed yourself to be fully engaged in worship–what did that look like–how can you engage more fully the next time God overwhelms you?
When this Scripture says all the earth sings praises, what does that mean to you? How does the earth sing and shout? If the earth can do that, what does that say about you?
Plan a heart-parade today. Sing God’s praises with your whole self and allow Joy to flood your soul.