A New Hallelujah-- a little story from today

 He will lead children and parents to love each other more, so that when I      come, I won't bring destruction to the land.
 Malachi 4:6  Contemporary English Version

I saw something wonderful this morning when I was coming back from a long walk along the river,

I saw a family. 
They were walking towards the river, as I was coming back onto the main road. 
They were a father, a mother and two elementary school age children--girls. 
The sun had come up over the river and they were bathed in God's light as they were walking excitedly to the river.   The mother and one daughter were holding hands, and the other girl was holding something like a kite or something to play with.  I could see their smiles and their joy at being together as a family.

The wonderful thing was just that!!  It was like a glimmer of precious beauty out of the days of the virus and all the negative news.  Amidst the background that in Japan for this whole month, all the schools are closed, many workplaces too are suspended and people are told to work from home.  Ordinarily it would be completely rare and just about "never" to see a family like this together on a weekday morning.  But from the situation we are in, this was possible !!  God shone His light on that family on this weekday morning and gave them this time together, to be suspended in a rest and such simple pleasures. 

It was something new that was coming out of the situation with the virus.  It was a spark and a moment, but it filled me with hope and a glimpse of something new that He is doing.

On my walk I had been adding a kind of rhythm to the walk with lifting up my arms in "Hallelujah",  with 1-2-3-4, right arm up, left arm up, Hallelujah! , 5-6-7-8, right arm down , left arm down, and again,

So when I saw this sight of the family who He brought together in a way only He can,  it added a new spring to my step.  Ready?  Set?  Arms up in praise, Hallelujah!!

♡