Delight.

Joey took me out last night, an early Valentine's treat. An excuse to have my parents take the boys overnight so we can go have someone else cook and clean and make our bed. We stayed at the Peppermill, our go to overnighter. It's so big and over the top there. The giant mirrors that hang on the wall made me feel like I was in a giant's house. So did the King crab legs I ordered for dinner. I got four or five legs and I was satisfied after eating the meat inside of one of them, they were that huge!
It was good to be with Joey. We shared a 2007 Cabernet from Napa. The label identified it as "rich and chewy"-not exactly how I would have first described it but  could see where they were coming from after I thought about it for a minute. It was full of all sorts of flavors and was a delight to drink. I could have taken the whole evening to drink that bottle with him. If that's all our date was it would have been phenomenal.
We're home now after going to church. I find myself not wanting to miss church. I have a little monk inside of me. Growing up as a pastor's kid church was always a "have to" or a "should". Sometime in the last year or so it's become a well of life to me. The community, the music, communion, the teaching.  Giving me the time to stop and and become aware, again, of God. Such a small taste of eternity, immersed in the love of God...but a small taste here is more than enough to keep me wanting more and more. So I don't like to miss it.
I'm also beginning to want a Sabbath. Protected time to rest and delight. I think in our culture we forget how to delight in anything, really. There is always too much to do. For example, I asked myself today, I have all day, what refreshes me? What delights me? and I couldn't really answer it. It was easier to just go throw some more clothes in the washer and then go through my underwear drawer and then re-organize the pantry....the problem is God created us to delight. To enjoy the fruit of our labor and relationship with others and with Him.
I want that rhythm, to know what is work and what is play, and to have time for both.
Music delights me. Playing my guitar, singing. Writing delights me. Painting delights me. Taking a walk with my family, being in nature, the sun. Reading. Sex followed by a nap with Joey. Cooking a meal slowly and eating together. Reading to my boys. Going for a run. Relishing in God's presence, knowing that it's enough. I don't have to be a hamster running my wheels with no end in sight. We were created for so much more than that. I want my Sabbath's to be a taste of eternity, keeping my pallet salivating for more and more and more.