It’s Time To Celebrate!

Have you been able to really celebrate this summer? Finding time with family and friends to gather, although it might look a little different? We have. Three weeks in a row, we have celebrations - a birthday, our anniversary, and a graduation party. The birthday celebration was small, the anniversary spent at home, and the graduation party runs with family and friends coming in small groups to celebrate. 

It might be hard this year to get in the mood for celebration, but it is a primary way to love and honor our families and friends. As I looked back on some writing today, I found a post from February that reminds us how to celebrate and stands in opposition to an ever increasing media message of conflict. I’d like to share a part of it with you again. 

Taken from Two For One Holiday Tradition on February 13, 2020

In a time where our understanding of religions and cultures have grown and become intertwined, we have holidays for everything. There is always a reason to celebrate. But I’m thinking of the traditional and memorable holidays of my childhood growing up in small town America. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, President’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. These were most important because school was closed! To a lesser degree, but still very well celebrated both by families and stores were Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Halloween. 

These were holidays and a time to celebrate! The only problem with them, especially the gift giving holidays, was if you had a birthday that landed on, near, or around that holiday. What did you experience? That doggone two for one holiday tradition! A long accepted belief that when two holidays are close together, you can celebrate them both at once. Ridiculous!

For me it was Valentine’s Day. I was born minutes after Valentine’s Day on February 15th. Looking back, I think my parents were pretty great at having well defined lines around birthdays and holidays. 

Each year I would get some Valentine's chocolate and a card.  And my birthdays growing up were spectacular and well planned. Whatever theme I tossed at my parents, they always came through. Magicians and clowns came to my parties, and even my grade school teachers stopped by for the fun. My young friends never left the party bored or hungry.

Then, I grew up and got married. My husband, Bryce, had never experienced two celebratory days - like Valentine’s Day and my birthday - that close together. And he quickly realized the conundrum. One year, he tried the two for one holiday tradition by bringing flowers and chocolate to celebrate Valentine’s Day and my birthday together. Bryce quickly realized that one celebration was easy on the wallet, but two days of celebration kept him in the good graces of his wife. 

Why? Because two days of celebration are never about getting more tangible gifts. Gifts are fun and a joyful part of the experience when everything goes right, but it’s about building a tradition to experience a legacy of love. And two days of celebrating someone is better than one. Especially when it is done with Paul’s instruction from the Biblical book of Romans in mind. 

When you think about the word “love” in this passage, Paul is using it to mean brotherly love and is showing how the early church viewed Christians as extended family members. Let me share it with you from several versions of the Bible. 

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.- Romans 12:10 NIV

Be loyal and loving.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 NLT

Be authentic. Take pleasure in honoring the ones you love.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. - Romans 12:9-10 MSG

Dig deep. Be real. Love intensely. 

Do you see those words? Wow! That’s how God wants us to celebrate the people in our family. 

Our family and friends need us to celebrate. It pulls us from our to do lists, helps us set aside the things that are important but not urgent, and gives us time to connect deeply with those we love. 

Our present reality is constantly changing. Let’s not allow that to be an excuse to remain in solitude and play it so safe that we miss impacting and loving those around us through celebrations. They may need to look different, but that doesn’t change their importance. 

Old Celebrations

Celebrations are a part of our legacy. They become stories of joy that are told around the dinner table. Let’s have our celebrations and let family and friends experience our joy. Grab your favorite beverage, sit down with your family and friends, delight in the fellowship, and be refreshed. It’s more energizing than your morning coffee. Celebrating, that’s what we are doing this month. I hope you will too! 

Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,

Jody