HAPPY GO PRAISE

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 243

I could’ve written about this yesterday, but I thought it’d be more fun to share tonight when I could devote a little more time to it. No promises on a lengthy post, though. I've gotta admit, it’s getting late, so this one might be on the shorter side. We’ll see. No scripting—just writing from the hip, as I most often do.

So, there I was. I’d just pulled into the church parking lot, grabbed my stuff, and started walking toward the front door when something unexpected caught my eye. There, riding right down the middle of the road, kind of swerving back and forth all happy-go-lucky like, was a young man just praising the Lord.

I’d never seen him before, which I guess doesn’t mean much. Even though we live in a tiny town, I’m sure there’s still a handful of folks around I haven't met. I’d guess he was about my daughter’s age—somewhere in his mid-to-late twenties. He was a bit chonky like me (well, okay, far less chonky than me), with nice dark hair and a darker complexion. I didn’t know where he lived, where he was coming from, or where he was headed.

What I did notice, though, was his demeanor... and the reason behind it.

Honestly, it caught my ear more than my eye: a song of praise I know well, titled "Worthy of It All." It's a popular modern worship tune written by David Brymer and Ryan Hall, and made famous by folks like CeCe Winans. (This young man was playing CeCe’s rendition.)

Mr. Happy Go Praise had this tiny little Bluetooth speaker hanging from his pocket, cranked as loud as that little jobby could go. And the man himself was singing right along with CeCe with the absolute biggest grin on his face.

I couldn’t help but join in. (Click here to listen to CeCe belt it out).

That song—but mostly, that young man—helped put my spirit in just the right frame of mind. What a great way to start off the day, I thought. Well, as soon as I got into my office, I fired up my PC, opened Spotify, and played that track as loud as my speakers could handle. I didn’t care if anybody else walked in; I was singing to an Audience of One, just like Mr. Happy Go Praise.

Throughout the day, I wondered if he was just out for a casual bike ride, or intentionally sharing his love for Jesus with whomever would listen. Well, I was listening, and for him, I had to thank the Lord. I thanked God for this young man, praising the Lord aloud without a care in the world. I thanked the Lord for Mr. HGP’s faith and his casual yet simple evangelism. Mostly, I thanked the Lord that this young man set off my day in the most perfect way.

We need more people in this world like Mr. Happy Go Praise—folks who are willing to be Christ’s voice, singing songs of praise for the world to hear. That’s what I think, anyway. If I had a voice like that young man, it’s exactly what I’d do. But seeing as how my singing shatters glass, it's probably better for everyone if Mr. Happy Go Praise sings to the Lord in public, rather than someone like me. Hahaha!

Anyway, I thought that’d be a fun story to close out the work week. What are you thankful for today?