One of my nieces lives out west as a midwife. She was beaming with joy. She shared a few stories and told me a bit about her boyfriend. She listened as I shared some personal stories. Another niece was there with a new baby. She and her husband were beaming new parents. They talked about their new little one, their new home and asked for advice on gardening.

The best part of the day was the Easter egg hunt. A group of us scattered eggs in the yard. Then the crowd of over 80s and the few young children were allowed to start collecting eggs. Later, the rest of the adults joined in. The eggs contained candy and counterfeit money. The money could be used to “buy” prizes. It was so fun to watch the “seniors” bring their money to the tables and get their prizes. I think they were as excited as the kids. The laughter and memories of those few minutes were priceless.

COVID has robbed us of so many of these types of family moments. It’s good to find ways to get together, especially outdoors, where we can be together safely and share these kinds of family moments. The 4th of July is another one of those family times when we can get together outdoors and reconnect. Families and friends need these opportunities to come together to share our love and stories with each other.

I started my Easter Sunday at church, where we had a very good service. My pastor’s wife painted a picture while the pastor was giving his sermon. The two intertwine to illustrate God’s unfathomable love for us. As he spoke and shared scriptures on God’s love, she painted a picture that illustrated God’s great love for us. It was powerful, meaningful and moving to experience.

But there was a moment during the service that caught my imagination. We were singing a song that I’ve sung many times. There’s a line in the song that says, “I know the author of my story and he’s mine. The line captivated me and my imagination raced as I pondered the words.

I saw myself sleeping in my bed. Then I could imagine God pulling out a chair next to me and pulling out a pen and notebook. His glasses were on the tip of his nose so he could concentrate on his writing. He sometimes looked at me with the biggest smile as he wrote down what was going to happen in my life. I could imagine the joy on his face as he looked at me and then wrote my story.

I’ve been thinking about these images all day. I thought of the joy He has just looking at us. I saw the same joy watching my niece and her husband as they watched their newborn baby. The Bible is clear that God is planning a good future for us. It is easy to imagine that God takes great joy in writing our future. He smiles as he plans the things we’ll discover, the hidden treasures…just like those Easter eggs. I think we often fail to realize how much pleasure we bring to her just by being ourselves.

I want to encourage you to stop and reflect on the fact that God loves you and is actively creating a bright and hopeful future for you. He looks at you and is filled with joy. He sees the best in you. He believes the best of you. He is planning wonderful things, not only for this life but for all eternity, for you. The truth is that God loves you and is eager to spend all eternity with you. Enjoy the good story that God writes for you.