Sweet Sunday

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

“Is it almost ready?” Gabriel jumped up and down. Rubbed his hands together. Peered over the edge of the ice cream machine with eyes round as half-dollars.

“Dad said ten more minutes,” Zay said. Then he sighed, hard, like the world was pushing on his little brown shoulders.

The ice cream machine whirred and chugged while three swim-suit clad little boys caged about the patio. My parents chatted with Lonny, our older sons, and our dear friend Miss Jean. I carried the cut glass ice cream bowls, a flea market find, from the kitchen.

Precious, simple goodness.

The ice cream machine was Lonny’s Father’s Day gift. It has a hand crank and an electric motor, so we can plug it into the outlet on the back of the house when the boys’ little arms fall at their sides, like limp ropes, from churning.

We’ve given the machine a workout this summer.

As we scooped ice cream into bowls, I glanced around the patio and was blessed by each family member. It seemed, for a few moments, like the world spun more slowly. And I was grateful, from a deep-heart place, for a last-of-summer evening when burdens were light, worries were far off, the biggest, deepest decision was whether to top our ice cream with fresh berries or chocolate chips.

Thank you Lord for your goodness, so powerfully evident in this sweet Sunday.