The Rocks Cry Out

It was so busy.  So very many details swirled around us for weeks and months, so many decisions, so much excitement and so much stress!  But the day arrived and I stood in the bridal suite watching my daughter with her closest friends.  They laughed, danced, had makeup and hair stylists surrounding them.  We all dressed in our finery and danced some more...yes, I confess, me too!  Then we shooed the girls out so the bride could dress.  As I helped her into her beautiful gown time seemed to slow down and memories flooded through me.  Her hair bows, her beautiful little girl dresses, her first bike ride, the way she liked to swirl in a full skirt, the way she looked at me...oh, the way she looked at me.  Those are priceless memories.  Soon, the bridal party was allowed back into the room and they gasped and praised this beautiful bride.  And yes...she is incredibly beautiful inside and out.  Moments passed so quickly and before I knew it I was on the front row, standing as the bride entered the chapel on the arm of my beloved.  Her groom was awestruck.  He swayed back and forth and never took his eyes from her entry.  Tears streamed down his face as he stood, swaying and awaiting her arrival.  I've always loved seeing the groom's first look but on this day I was particularly overjoyed with how the groom adored my little girl...his bride.  

Oh how my heart was still full of joy a week later, Sunday morning.  My beloved and I stood in worship at our church.  The music swelled loudly around us.  We joined in and sang of God's love, of God's provision and protection.  We sang of His holiness.  We sang of his love.  Neither of us sing really well but in this worship space we sing and sing loudly.  You see, the music is so loud that one can freely sing at full voice.  And I realized that Sunday that my spirit NEEDED to sing loudly.  I was still celebrating the beautiful wedding day of our daughter but I was also celebrating so much more.  I celebrated His very aliveness in the world and in me.  I cried out in song before Him.  Maybe that's why the songs are so loud in nondenominational churches....so that we can shout out, sing out our great love to the Creator of our souls and of our lives.  My wonderful protestant upbringing was a beautiful beginning to my faith journey and I will forever be thankful for how the Lord met me in those years.  But the singing in my old home church was quiet, it was a place where I didn't sing too loudly for fear that I would be heard and on the wrong key!!  So Sunday worship was quiet singing. Everyone sang but not so that your neighbor could hear.  And yes, it was and is beautiful worship.

But I was reminded on Sunday morning that , "even the rocks will cry out".  Yes, the rocks will not whisper out His name they will cry out His name.  His glorious name.  Play the music loudly so that I, my own little soul, can scream out His name in song because that is the ultimate desire of my whole being.  I believe we all crave that type of experience as He made us that way.  He made us to be ultimately fulfilled by only Him.  So yes, I will cry out.  And my tears flow and my heart swells for it has found its true home.

The groom told me last Sunday, that as his bride walked down the aisle toward him all he could think about was that the beauty he saw in his bride was the SAME beauty Jesus sees in him... the same beauty Jesus sees in me, the same beauty Jesus sees in you.

How can we NOT cry out?

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” 

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” " Luke 19:38-40