God brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. 

Galatians 5:22

I mentioned in my Easter sermon that a girlfriend of mine, who is an extrovert extraordinaire, has been struggling with the stay-at-home order.  It was her birthday recently, and she was sad that she couldn’t be with her friends.  Instead, her friends surprised her with a birthday gift.  They did a car parade outside her home, yelling and cheering to let her know how much they loved her and sang Happy Birthday.  It only lasted five minutes, but it is five minutes that she will never forget.  She posted this parade on her Facebook page and just watching her cry with joy and laughter made me tear up as well.  It’s in this season of pandemic where we need to look towards the joy and the signs of hope that although we are apart – we are still together.  

On Easter, we celebrated the disciples experiencing surprising joy. In this season of COVID-19, may we look towards the resurrections all around us, may they be small or grand, because they are out there just waiting to be seen.

Although Becca’s birthday parade is no longer available to share, here’s another birthday parade that took place for a little boy that brought lots of joy.  Enjoy!