I never read Psalm 16 without thinking of my grandmother. 15-20 years ago, she was sitting in my parents’ kitchen and that psalm came up in the conversation. As she was speaking of “at thy right hand are pleasures forevermore” – from verse 11 – she also gestured with her right hand, and came up against a batch of chocolate chip cookies. “It’s true! It’s true! Pleasures forevermore! Cookies!”, she exulted. I have laughed upon recalling that incident ever since, and she always comes to mind whenever either chocolate chip cookies or that chapter comes around.
Recently though, I was thinking more about the depth of meaning contained therein. If anyone has ever been convinced of the absolute truth of that statement, that there truly are pleasures forevermore at the right hand of the Lord, it was Grandma Farnham; and that kind of hopeful anticipation and confident expectation materially alters decision-making in the small moments of the everyday.
We are currently inundated with opportunities to seek our own pleasure. Streaming services offer us distraction and entertainment with whatever we desire, literally at our right hands forever; food is available with just a click and a 15-20” wait for delivery; and even a world of books can be had with barely a second thought on the devices that fill our homes. Those aren’t the “pleasures forevermore” that Grandma sought after.
One of my children read Psalm 16 in the last couple days, and I related to her this same incident with Grandma Farnham. Although I hope that in some small way she also remembers Grandma when she eats cookies and reads Psalm 16, my greater hope is that she’ll follow the rest of the legacy Grandma left us.
Awesome life story. She definitely knew how to teach and live with Christ. Thanks for sharing!