Spontaneous Applause
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God loves spontaneous applause.
The rain held off as the string quartet began the processional. First came the grandmothers, then the father and mother of the groom. Yes, they looked wonderful in their wedding attire, but it was something else that caused the congregation to applaud. Last Fall, the father contracted a terrible neurological disease out of nowhere that almost took his life. Only months ago, he was being lifted from a hospital bed by a crane of sorts. It was doubtful he’d make it to the wedding. Then, it would only be in a wheelchair. No one imagined he’d be able to walk down the aisle, let alone dance. No wonder everyone clapped; no wonder the father smiled gratefully and subtly pointed toward the clouds above.
God loves spontaneous applause.
It was an extraordinary day made up of ordinary things. She fixed breakfast for her three children, the youngest having to eat his in the car as she drove them to school. At work, a co-worker broke down in the breakroom because of a terrible mistake she’d made. She shared a mistake she made not long ago, and it seemed to make her co-worker feel better. She met her husband for their weekly lunch, something they had started doing to stay connected, and when she went to pick the children up, she was told to pull off to the side because her eldest had forgotten something in her locker. From her car, she watched as her first-born skipped down the sidewalk waving her science notebook as if she hadn’t a care in the world. When the family held hands to say grace at dinner, she felt the remnants of her son’s peanut butter and jelly snack. Before she finished the dishes, she placed her hands on the counter’s edge, closed her eyes, and whispered, “thank you.”
God loves spontaneous applause.
He wasn’t even halfway. He had made it 700 miles, but Mount Katahdin, the finish line of the Appalachian Trail, seemed beyond reach. Still, when he saw a path leading off the trail, he decided to put his pack against a tree and see where it led. Soon, he was standing on a rock ledge overlooking miles of Virginia. The sun was beginning to set, and he knew he should find a place to camp, but the sight before him wouldn’t let him leave. In awe, he lifted his hands and let out a shout that echoed up and down the surrounding mountains. It was his way of saying “yes” to what he was seeing. It was his way of joining creation’s song.
God loves spontaneous applause.