“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Just Rejoicing

Walk His Way Revisited

I want you to meet Charlie. He was an “older” man; somewhere between “not young” and “not THAT old.” He had a slender build, and wasn’t tall, but neither was he short. He had thinning gray-brown hair, and almost always had a “concentrating” expression on his face. Charlie had little wrinkles at the edges of his brown eyes as if they were smiling. He always wore monochromatic work clothes, either blue or gray, with his shirt tucked neatly into his leather-belted pants. Charlie always walked like he was heading some place important, while rarely looking up.

Charlie worked where I worked many years ago. His job description was custodian/maintenance man/repair man/gardener. So he really was going some place important when he was walking. Everybody knew Charlie. Everybody needed Charlie. Everybody knew Charlie’s extension number.

The most remarkable thing—the “thing” I remember most about Charlie, these oh-so-many-years-later—was his response EVERY TIME someone said, “Hey, Charlie, how ya doin’?” Without missing a beat, stopping to think, or stopping what he was doing, Charlie would answer, “Just rejoicing.” Whether he was unclogging a toilet, sweating outside trimming trees, sweeping, mopping, or dumping trash, he was “just rejoicing.”

I was young then and thought his response was sweet, but quirky. I didn’t get it then. But I want to get it now. I want that kind of response to well up within me whether I’m changing a diaper or cleaning a toilet or cooking a meal. I want my heart to be so in tune with Jesus and all that He has done for me, and in me, and to me, that I have an attitude like Charlie’s. I want to be “just rejoicing” through my life when the car won’t start, when the trials of life come, when I can’t find my keys, or when I burn the toast.

I want to start today.

Heavenly Father, help my heart to “just rejoice” no matter what life brings me. Let me “just rejoice” and rest in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.