My three-year-old granddaughter, Addison, has the lead role in her own musicals. Her life is filled with songs. She’s in a very happy head space. She doesn’t just ask questions. She sings them. One of my favorites is a soulful Sunday-morning classic: “When can I get my church dress on?” She holds out the last note in a heartrending vibrato. When she does get her church dress on, she concludes her performance with interpretive dance that features lots of twirling and graceful arm extensions. Thanks to Addy, I know what cherubs look like. Addy gets ready to worship God the way his people did a long time ago. She starts before she ever gets to church. “On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence” (Psalm 100:1 MSG).

Can you imagine a church parking lot where people pile out of their SUVs and start skipping and singing on their way into the gathering space because their lives are filled with songs? Maybe we should let the children go in first and show us how to do it. Children express joy with their singing and dancing, and in a miraculous way their singing and dancing sustain their joy. It is the joy of always living in the presence of God. It is the joy of still being near enough in time to your first breath that you just assume God has everything covered. So why not just sing?