LIVING WELL

Rejoice Evermore

rejoice evermore

Last night, Dan and I finished watching the HBO Films series John Adams. I think this last episode was my favorite. It was the only where I cried, but it was also so much about Abigail and John Adams reflecting on their lives as they reached the end of them.

rejoice evermore

In a final scene, John Adams is walking along a cornfield at dusk with his son, Thomas. His wife has died, all of his peers but Thomas Jefferson have passed away and this is what he has to stay:

"Still, still I am not weary of life. Strangely. I have hope. You take away hope and what remains? What pleasures? I have seen a queen of France with eighteen million levers of diamonds on her persons, but I declare that all the charms of her face and figure, added to all the glitter of her jewels, did not impress me as much as that little shrub. (pointing with his walking stick to a small white flower in the field.)
Now my mother always said that I never delighted enough in the mundane, but now I find that if I look at even the smallest thing…my imagination begins to roam the Milky Way. Rejoice evermore. Rejoice Evermore! …REJOICE! EVERMORE! I wish that had always been in my heart and on my tongue. I am filled with an irresistible impulse to fall on my knees right here in admiration….If only my knees would bend like they used to. "

rejoice evermore

Must we reach the end of our days for us to find delight in the mundane? For our hearts to rejoice at all times? For the smallest flower to stir our imagination? I surely hope not.

Tonight, I noticed the cool breeze on my bare skin, a group of dark cattle grazing on the hill below the old stone church, my children running and falling and laughing in the grass with their father, a moment of quiet, just for me.

Those words of John Adams stirred something inside me. They once again reminded me to fill my heart and my days with thankfulness, hope, joy, curiosity. To take pleasure in the smallest flower, the most mundane tasks oftentimes repeated day after day after day. To notice. To not grow weary.

rejoice evermore

Life is full of so many pleasures.

Rejoice Evermore.

rejoice evermore

Last night, Dan and I finished watching the HBO Films series John Adams. I think this last episode was my favorite. It was the only where I cried, but it was also so much about Abigail and John Adams reflecting on their lives as they reached the end of them.

rejoice evermore

In a final scene, John Adams is walking along a cornfield at dusk with his son, Thomas. His wife has died, all of his peers but Thomas Jefferson have passed away and this is what he has to stay:

"Still, still I am not weary of life. Strangely. I have hope. You take away hope and what remains? What pleasures? I have seen a queen of France with eighteen million levers of diamonds on her persons, but I declare that all the charms of her face and figure, added to all the glitter of her jewels, did not impress me as much as that little shrub. (pointing with his walking stick to a small white flower in the field.)
Now my mother always said that I never delighted enough in the mundane, but now I find that if I look at even the smallest thing…my imagination begins to roam the Milky Way. Rejoice evermore. Rejoice Evermore! …REJOICE! EVERMORE! I wish that had always been in my heart and on my tongue. I am filled with an irresistible impulse to fall on my knees right here in admiration….If only my knees would bend like they used to. "

rejoice evermore

Must we reach the end of our days for us to find delight in the mundane? For our hearts to rejoice at all times? For the smallest flower to stir our imagination? I surely hope not.

Tonight, I noticed the cool breeze on my bare skin, a group of dark cattle grazing on the hill below the old stone church, my children running and falling and laughing in the grass with their father, a moment of quiet, just for me.

Those words of John Adams stirred something inside me. They once again reminded me to fill my heart and my days with thankfulness, hope, joy, curiosity. To take pleasure in the smallest flower, the most mundane tasks oftentimes repeated day after day after day. To notice. To not grow weary.

rejoice evermore

Life is full of so many pleasures.

Rejoice Evermore.

29 comments on “Rejoice Evermore”

  1. This is something I try and live by, and something I try to teach my children. I actually think it is one of the reasons I love being an expat-it’s easier to notice the mundane if it is foreign to you. Beauty is all around us, we just have to open our eyes to see it.

  2. I LOVE John Adams (and Abigail). Not to brag, but I was into them WAY before it was trendy (lol). My rebellious 12-year-old self decided he was my favorite FF because some of the others got more attention. And then I got into Abigail, and their letters. SO inspiring.

  3. That’s very sweet, Molly–In the last year or so I’ve been trying to really take joy out of the mundane, as it is what we have in bounty while the spectacular is rare. It helps to get through harder times, which tend to obscure all the small joys. So these days I’m trying really hard to notice and be thankful for such things.

  4. Beautiful post! Not having any disposable money (groceries and gas wipe us out until the next payday) has really taught me to enjoy and appreciate all that God created.

  5. I love what you said about delighting in what some might consider the mundane. I remind myself every day to be present and delight in the amazing moments that happen so frequently. It is when I’m rushing that I miss all those moments and I feel empty and exhausted. I put a link for Mr. Rogers on my blog… do you mind if I cut and paste those quotes that you shared in your post. I thought they were good ones. I will reference your post as well. I thought I should probably include a post to explain the link. Have a lovely weekend. It feels like fall here in N.C.

  6. I read this post. I shut my computer. I grabbed the kids and told them there was something they needed to see outside. Now. I really had no idea what we were going to see. But, I took them both by the hands, walked out to the middle of the front yard and we all laid on our backs. In about ten seconds, we had our reward. Bats. We counted 17 bats in about five minutes. The kids thanked me and thought it was so cool that I knew the bats were going to be there. We went inside and resumed our own stuff. Thanks for the post. We rejoiced.

  7. I agree…simple and beautiful. I think if I am able to teach my boys one thing it is exactly what you have spoken to in this post…to rejoice in the everyday small miracles that God gives us. There is happiness and joy in just that. Thank you friend!

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