“Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:16b-17
As the Tuscan sun sank lower over the River Arno, I sat satisfied with my day in Florence. Beginning with the market that morning followed by a walking tour of the old city, passed the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore with its famous dome to our wisteria-covered cooking school, the day was nothing short of perfect. Ravioli in a lemon cream sauce taught by a spry octogenarian was the result of the morning's culinary endeavors and our first course for lunch. Retracing our steps to the Galleria dell’Accademia for a close up view of Michelangelo's David and then browsing the plethora of shops filled our afternoon.
So here we sat. Satiated from our buffet dinner served al fresco at the rooftop restaurant, we watched the orange fire ball sink slowly into the night. This day wasn't over yet.
As we walked through twilit streets and over a bridge spanning the now dark Arno, we arrived at our destination - a beautiful old church, maintained so well as to look deceptively fresh and pristine within. The performance was about to begin.
The simple stage was merely the patterned tiled floor bounded by ornate arching columns surrounding a black-lacquered grand piano. The master of ceremonies was also the master of the keyboard and he began to play strains of beautiful music. Enter a man and a woman, he in a black tuxedo and black trimmed beard, her in a long, flowing evening dress, her hair twisted in a smooth knot. As the duo sang love songs in Italian, the audience was entranced. Opera being sung a few feet away by musicians who freely give of their talents all the while smiling with pure joy as they deliver every note and vibrato is something to experience. Even a non-opera lover couldn't resist falling under their spell.
I couldn't help but think how God loves to sing over us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God is with us and as a mighty warrior, He saves us. We have nothing to fear. God not only doesn't rebuke us, He actually delights in us. God loves us so much He rejoices over us with singing. Just like the Florentine opera singers, God experiences joy as He sings over us. And the good news is, we don't have to travel to faraway places like Florence to experience joy, too. God rejoices over us day and night, just where we are. All we need to do is listen.
Lord, thank you for the lessons you are teaching me. The neighborhoods of Siena show me the need for community with others while the Florentine opera singers teach me of the joy in community with You. May the eyes of my heart be ever open to the lessons You want me to learn and may my ears be open to You. Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Ponte Santa Trinita (Saint Trinity Bridge), Florence, Italy.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
As the Tuscan sun sank lower over the River Arno, I sat satisfied with my day in Florence. Beginning with the market that morning followed by a walking tour of the old city, passed the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore with its famous dome to our wisteria-covered cooking school, the day was nothing short of perfect. Ravioli in a lemon cream sauce taught by a spry octogenarian was the result of the morning's culinary endeavors and our first course for lunch. Retracing our steps to the Galleria dell’Accademia for a close up view of Michelangelo's David and then browsing the plethora of shops filled our afternoon.
So here we sat. Satiated from our buffet dinner served al fresco at the rooftop restaurant, we watched the orange fire ball sink slowly into the night. This day wasn't over yet.
As we walked through twilit streets and over a bridge spanning the now dark Arno, we arrived at our destination - a beautiful old church, maintained so well as to look deceptively fresh and pristine within. The performance was about to begin.
The simple stage was merely the patterned tiled floor bounded by ornate arching columns surrounding a black-lacquered grand piano. The master of ceremonies was also the master of the keyboard and he began to play strains of beautiful music. Enter a man and a woman, he in a black tuxedo and black trimmed beard, her in a long, flowing evening dress, her hair twisted in a smooth knot. As the duo sang love songs in Italian, the audience was entranced. Opera being sung a few feet away by musicians who freely give of their talents all the while smiling with pure joy as they deliver every note and vibrato is something to experience. Even a non-opera lover couldn't resist falling under their spell.
I couldn't help but think how God loves to sing over us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God is with us and as a mighty warrior, He saves us. We have nothing to fear. God not only doesn't rebuke us, He actually delights in us. God loves us so much He rejoices over us with singing. Just like the Florentine opera singers, God experiences joy as He sings over us. And the good news is, we don't have to travel to faraway places like Florence to experience joy, too. God rejoices over us day and night, just where we are. All we need to do is listen.
Lord, thank you for the lessons you are teaching me. The neighborhoods of Siena show me the need for community with others while the Florentine opera singers teach me of the joy in community with You. May the eyes of my heart be ever open to the lessons You want me to learn and may my ears be open to You. Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Ponte Santa Trinita (Saint Trinity Bridge), Florence, Italy.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
RSS Feed