Celebrate!

We’re in the middle of the time of year when there are lots of holidays and celebrations. It’s good to celebrate things. Did you know that celebration was God’s idea and not man’s? In fact, God had to teach the Israelites (who had a “work mentality” after more than 400 years of enslavement) how to celebrate! They learned how to take time to remember God’s goodness. He not only suggested, but He commanded they celebrate three big festivals a year, not just for a day, but for a week at a time!

Then there was the Sabbath, a day of rest, not to mention God just telling them to always remember the Lord with joy and gladness. It’s good to celebrate things. It makes us joyful and it increases our connection with others. When we celebrate the things of God, we feel more aware of our connection with God because we are expressing gratitude for the giving and receiving that happens between us and God. 

In the same way, Judi and I celebrated each other and the connection we have recently on a dream trip to Italy. It was our ten year wedding anniversary! We wanted to celebrate in a big way because of the big gratitude we have for each other and for our marriage. We have to say, that every day of our 10-day celebration brought an acute awareness of the beautiful connection we have together. 

As humans, we can even celebrate the differences we have with each other, instead of holding contempt for those differences. Wouldn’t that make the world better? We heartily recommend a daily lifestyle of celebration. Every day is good and every day is a gift. All we have to do is look and see how truly beautiful it is, even though there are difficulties. The celebratory lifestyle makes the difficulties much more bearable. 

As you practice this, you find yourself becoming a very grateful soul. And grateful souls are the happiest people on earth. And ultimately, aren’t we all heading toward the Great Celebration?