Thursday, February 18, 2021

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”          Psalm 118:24
 
Sometimes “rejoicing” has been a challenge this year. But when I stop and look at what the Lord has offered me, I find I am not bereft. There have been hidden treasures. Case in point: the public park in Clearfield. I grew up in Armstrong County and had family in State College. I traveled Route 322 through Clearfield but was never further off the highway than the bridge connecting one side of Clearfield to the other side. This year, however, I discovered the park. It was a reason to rejoice.
 
My sister and her husband come to Armstrong County from Georgia. Normally I would be flying over that Clearfield bridge to meet up with her for things that sisters do. This year, caution entered our visits, and the park was discovered. It is about as halfway as we could find between the homestead in Armstrong County and here. It was a discovery that required GPS the first time back in July. It has picnic tables and a couple pavilions and is right beside the river so there are ducks to watch. We met there for socially distanced and masked picnics with our spouses about four times, including the holidays. The ducks were always happy for a share of our menu.
 
That park was a gem the Lord offered for us to connect. We were spectators to a summer wedding in the pavilion. It was a small, socially distanced wedding, but still a happy occasion. The justice of the peace was late and came flying across the park lawn struggling into his robes for the officiating. The ducks provided a choral quacking for the union. We applauded their “I do’s.”  It was a day to rejoice.
 
At Christmas, we had a two-foot-tall foil tree purchased at a discount store to decorate our table. There was about five inches of snow, but the sun shone, and the pavilion was available. As seasoned tailgaters, we dressed for the weather. We opened gifts, picnicked and the ducks quacked. It was a day to rejoice.
 
Because of this odd year, I took a turn at the traffic light and found more than a park. Rejoice.
 
Thank you, Lord, for understanding our hunger to connect. Thank you for providing sustenance for body and soul. Lead us to days of rejoicing.
 
June Walter