Day 15 – Hineni in Little Joys
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Sometimes Hineni is simply saying,
“Here I am, Lord, noticing You in ordinary delights.”
I often drift off to sleep thinking about my morning cup of coffee. Does anyone else do this? I imagine the cozy, rich, earthy aroma as it fills the kitchen while it brews.
I step outside to take in the morning light, the water, the trees, and the birds at the feeder.
I take a deep breath, then return inside and pour the coffee into my favorite Yeti—a happy salmon pink I’ve had for years.
That simple act brings a small burst of joy, like holding a tiny friend in my hands.
No matter what the day ahead holds,
I can start by acknowledging that it is a day God has made.
I can—and I will—rejoice in it.
God delights in our delight.
He loves it when we notice the small things:
a warm cup of coffee,
birds at the feeder,
morning sunlight,
a soft breeze,
or even a piece of chocolate.
Christmas is full of little joys, too:
hot chocolate by the fire,
ice skating at an outdoor rink,
twinkling lights,
carols,
cookies,
and yes—even ugly Christmas sweaters.
Our sorrows feel lighter
when we choose to notice God’s presence in these everyday delights.
What are some of your favorite ordinary joys?
Which small moments at Christmas bring you delight?
Maybe rejoicing today means savoring your coffee a little longer, reading a favorite Christmas book,
or truly enjoying your favorite Christmas cookie.
Day 16 – Hineni in Gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”
Gratitude shifts our posture to Hineni, opening our hearts to God in joyful receptivity.
An essential practice in my life—and in homeschooling my children—is the practice of gratitude. I like to start our mornings by sharing or writing down three things we are thankful for. We’ve been doing this for years, and our lists are delightfully varied: from falling leaves to spicy curries, from flowers and grass to horses and chickens. Each day, we choose to notice God’s goodness all around us.
Often, I’ve practiced gratitude from a place of stress or exhaustion, when the responsibilities of life feel daunting. But taking just a few moments to thank God—for delicious food to eat, warm water to bathe in, my beautiful children—floods my heart with joy and renews my strength. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and I truly believe gratitude fuels that joy.
This Advent season, I am thankful for the natural beauty that surrounds me. Each day, I feast my eyes on the trees, water, and sky, and this restores my soul. I am grateful for the time I will spend with my husband, children, and extended family. I am thankful for my book club—a group of friends who meet once a month to share a meal, discuss a good book, and connect over life. I’m thankful for cozy blankets, winter fires, and Swedish cardamom bread.
What are you thankful for today?
What are you thankful for this holiday season?
How can you make gratitude a daily practice, inviting God’s presence and joy into every ordinary moment?
Day 17 – Hineni In Celebration
Luke 15:23–24
“Let us eat and celebrate; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
Celebration is not frivolous—it is a sacred invitation to welcome God’s joy into our hearts.
God meets us in our celebrations. In the Bible, there are seven major feasts commanded by God.
He gave these feasts to His people:
to remember and celebrate His mighty acts,
to teach spiritual truths,
and to nurture community and worship.
I believe these purposes can guide how we celebrate today and shape the way we experience Advent.
Our “Hineni” posture in celebration is an openness to joy. It can look like dancing, laughing, feasting, or simply savoring moments of delight. Joy can feel vulnerable at Christmastime, but when we posture ourselves for joy, the light of Jesus shines in, bringing healing to areas of darkness and sorrow. Our celebration becomes a holy and right response to the wonder of His birth.
Here are some of the ways I love to celebrate Christmas:
- Journeying through Advent devotionals like the one we are walking through together.
- Watching our dance studio’s production of Nativity, a captivating retelling of the Christmas story through dance.
- Gathering with family and honoring unique traditions.
- Enjoying December nighttime walks, charcuterie boards, Christmas movies, and homemade gifts.
How do you love to celebrate?
How can you view the Holiday season through the lens of Biblical feasts—remembering God’s mighty acts, learning spiritual truths, and nurturing connection?
Day 18 – Hineni in Wonder
Isaiah 40:26
“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name.”
Wonder opens our hearts to God’s presence in the world around us. It is that startled, holy breath we take when something reminds us that God is near.
In May of 2024, I experienced a wonder I never expected. My second daughter had just graduated from high school when I got a text from my sister-in-law: The Northern Lights might be visible tonight. It was a bucket-list dream of mine—one I thought required traveling far north. And because we were praying about a possible move, I whispered a small prayer on the drive home:
“Lord, if You’re calling us north, would You let me see the Northern Lights?”
When we arrived home, we stepped outside into the darkness and looked north. We saw subtle glimmers on the horizon. My phone captured more than my eyes could see—soft colors hinting at something real and rare. I went to bed grateful.
But near midnight, my daughter burst through the door: “Mom, come look!”
The sky outside was alive—ribbons of pink and green dancing overhead. I shouted for my family to come see. For the next ninety minutes, we stood under a canopy of color, wrapped in one of the most awe-filled moments of my life.
A year later, in our new home—thirty minutes north—my dad texted me a photo: the Northern Lights again. I ran outside, and once more the sky glowed with greens, pinks, purples, and reds. For the next several hours I watched in worshipful awe as the colors shifted and danced. God had given me this wonder again, at the place He had moved us to.
When I think of wonder, I imagine the shepherds that night outside Bethlehem. The sky bursting with heavenly light. A multitude of Heavenly Host proclaiming the birth of Jesus. Their glory-filled encounter far exceeded the wonder of the Northern Lights!
What wonders have you experienced?
Take a moment to remember something that left you astonished and amazed.
Ask God to reveal His wonders to you again.
Day 19 – Hineni in Shared Joy
Romans 12:15
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
Being present in another’s joy is one way we embody God’s love. Our “Here I am” can extend beyond ourselves and into the lives of others.
Years ago, our spring dance production was themed Joy Infusion, a celebration of receiving God’s joy and an acknowledgment that Jesus is our greatest joy. During that season, one of our teachers, Robyn, was walking through her mother Carla’s cancer journey. Together, they decided to meet every chemo appointment with intentional joy. They created something they called Operation Choose Joy—wearing fun, matching costumes to every infusion and blessing every doctor, nurse, and staff member they encountered.
I remember visiting Carla in the hospital and being deeply moved by her radiant smile, even in the midst of profound suffering. Our dancers prayed for Carla and for Robyn, crying out for Carla’s healing. During the Joy Infusion production, Robyn danced with wholehearted worship.
Not long after, we wept with Robyn when Carla stepped into eternity. We rejoiced when Robyn invited us to dance at her mother’s celebration of life. Robyn and Carla were not alone in their suffering or in their joy. Joy was their strength that got them through. Many lives, young and old were and still are impacted by Robyn and Carla’s choice for joy.
We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. Joy and sorrow are meant to be carried together, in community, as part of our “Here I am”.
Who needs your presence in joy this Advent season?
How might you choose joy in hard places?
Mourning and dancing are not always separate—sometimes they intermingle in beautiful ways.
Who can you weep with, and who can you rejoice with, this week?
Day 20 – Hineni in Play and Rest
Ecclesiastes 3:13
“Every person should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift.”
Joy includes rest, play, and delight. Hineni invites us to fully receive these gifts.
I have a memory with my mom that feels like a treasure tucked inside the treasure box of my mind. Every now and then, I take it out, look at it, and re-experience the delight of that moment.
We were in Cornwall, England, on an outreach trip at a music festival called Creation Fest. We were teaching dance and art workshops—working hard and loving it. One afternoon, my husband took our team to a beach along the southern coast. The landscape was stunning, and the waters were icy cold.
My mom and I are women of the water. We love our daily baths, we love to swim, and water has a way of calming and invigorating us both. So when the sea called, we answered.
The moment we stepped into that frigid water, we burst into laughter—deep, shrieking laughter that only grew as the cold stole our breath. We stayed in just long enough for the sting of the cold to turn to a strange burn. We kept checking on each other, both of us absolutely delighted by this shared plunge into the sea.
I remember stepping out of the water feeling hot while knowing I was actually freezing. I remember feeling proud of us for doing something so adventurous and playful. And mostly, I remember the joy—the pure delight of sharing that moment with my mom.
Life is full of hard work. We can’t escape it; even in Eden, God called humans to work. But life should also be full of rest and play. That plunge into the Cornwall sea was play—and it was also rest after pouring ourselves into teaching and leading.
Joy grows in us when we make space for play and rest. It also grows when we bring to mind and meditate on joy-filled memories.
What memory of joy can you pull from your own treasure box today?
How might you make room for more play and rest in this season?
What kind of play leads you to joy?
Choose something fun today—and receive it as God’s gift.
Day 21 – Hineni in the Greatest Joy
Luke 2:10–11
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.”
The ultimate joy is Christ Himself. When we say “Hineni—here I am” to God, we open ourselves to receive Jesus fully, letting His joy take root and dwell within us.
Joy, for me, can be a vulnerable emotion. When I feel intense joy, the kind of joy that floods my whole being, I then fear something bad will happen, bringing a wave of grief that drowns my joy. I fear that if I lean too far into joy, the grief that follows will be more than I can bear.
But the truth is this: sorrow will come after joy. And joy will come after sorrow. An even more mysterious truth is that joy and sorrow can live side by side in the same heart. Their intermingling is not dangerous—it is holy. It is human. It is even beautiful.
Jesus shows us this. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2) The One who is our ultimate joy is also called “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3) Jesus lost loved ones. He knew physical pain. He felt the sting of rejection. He lived within complicated family systems and strained societal expectations. He willingly opened Himself to both the greatest joy and the deepest suffering any human could ever imagine.
And because of that, our joy is safe in Him.
In the end, Jesus is our greatest joy. He is always present, always responding to us with, “Here I am.” He offers Himself freely, along with the resilient joy only He can give. We do not need to fear sorrow or suffering, because He has formed us with the capacity to say hineni—here I am—to both.
Are you afraid to fully surrender to joy?
Do you trust that your joy is safe in Jesus?
What might it look like to say, “Here I am, Jesus—here I am to Your joy”?