Jesus embodied a stubborn joy. A joy that refused to bend in the wind of hard times. A joy that held its ground against pain. A joy whose roots extended deep into the bedrock of eternity.

What type of joy is this? What is this cheerfulness that dares to wink at adversity?

I call it sacred delight.

It is sacred because it is not of the earth. What is sacred is God's. And this joy is God's. It is delight because delight can both satisfy and surprise.

Delight is Mary watching God sleep in a feed trough.
Delight is Joseph teaching the Creator of the world how to hold a hammer.
Delight is Jesus walking through waves as casually as you walk through curtains.
Delight is a leper seeing a finger where there had been only a nub.
Delight is a paraplegic doing somersaults.
Delight is Jesus doing impossible things in crazy ways: healing the blind with spit, paying taxes with a coin found in a fish's mouth, and coming back from the dead disguised as a gardener.

Sacred delight is good news coming through the back door of your heart. It's what you'd always dreamed but never expected. It's the too-good-to-be-true coming true. It's having God as your pinch-hitter, your lawyer, your dad, your biggest fan, and your best friend. God on your side, in your heart, out in front, and protecting your back. It's hope where you least expected it: a flower in life's sidewalk.

It is sacred because only God can grant it. It is a delight because it thrills. Since it is sacred, it can't be stolen. And since it is delightful, it can't be predicted. It is God's gladness.

From The Applause of Heaven
Copyright 1999 Max Lucado
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