A Spring of Joy

“Celebrate the little things in life, appreciate tomorrow…never condemn yourself to a life without cause to celebrate and be thankful for what you have. Never forget the people you love and love them when you have an occasion to do so. Celebrate their life and celebrate yours.” (~Anonymous)

Look up “celebration” on google and you’ll get all kinds of results: in celebration of artichokes, celebrating fathers, a celebration of friendship, touchdown celebrations, duct tape celebrations.

I love the idea that we can celebrate anything… that any day is a day to mark special things.

But celebrating goes deeper than artichokes and touchdowns (although I am a big fan of food and football).

It’s remembering, memorializing, giving thanks, observing, rejoicing and so many more things.

Years ago Bri shared an article with me (one I wish I had kept) on celebrating and how we as Christians have so much to celebrate. How even when things are hard, we can have hope and joy and can share in that hope and joy. It was all about how God is glorified in all of our days. The author of the article encouraged his readers to take time to celebrate: to mark anniversaries and happy days and holy days and common ordinary days. Since then I’ve been adding more and more days to our family calendar: first day of Spring celebrations, birthdays and anniversaries, annual remembrances, events, and then just “let’s eat on china because it’s a beautiful day” kind of celebrations.

The month of August has been full. Full of emotions that whirl and twirl and find me riding a roller coaster of days. It has been full of remembrance and grief. It has been full of new steps. It has been full of celebrating.

August 10th, 3 years ago, was the day I got the worst phone call of my life. It’s breast cancer. Today marks 3 years since I had surgery and the cancer was removed. That’s huge, y’all! Yet it’s this weird swirl of happy and sad, of remembering the horror and gratefulness for the healing.

We lost a friend this month, and grieved deeply, a grief that continues every day still, but we also joined with 1000 other people to celebrate his life and how he had touched all of us.

We celebrated our anniversary this month… two days before my grandparents celebrated their 67th! And my Brian reiterated what he vowed years ago–that he is in this for the long haul. That it is us, and only us. For better or for worse.

We started back to school and celebrated courage and new beginnings, and we made lasagna and garlic bread and homemade ice cream for our Back-to-School Supper.

And Sunday, beautiful, wonderful Sunday we will celebrate the new life God has given our Ash. He’s being baptized and then we’re having a party with friends and family. He sat with me this week and shared his heart, his love for God, and how he longs to live for Him. I am blown away. Completely and utterly blown away.

We are celebrating this August. We are remembering, grieving, memorializing, giving thanks, observing, and in all of it…

God is being glorified.

(Summer List #53: Eat Supper On China & Crystal)