I turned 33 yesterday–It was such a fun day. I’m so thankful for the family, friends and community of people in my life who wished me a great day, productive year and lots of calorie-free, birthday cake. I’ve never really been into celebrating my birthday, I don’t know why. My husband BJ has tried to throw me surprise parties and spoil me rotten, but I’ve usually taken a rain check and opted for a quiet celebration, with just us and the kids. This year was different.
As 2016 came to a close and as we kicked off this new year, I felt different approaching another year around the sun. For some reason, I was excited like never before and when asked the famous birthday question, “How does it feel to be thirty three?” I couldn’t help but share my excitement.
I’ve always been thankful for another year of life, but this year, my excitement was beyond my gratitude for the gift of life, but a desire to celebrate, more.
I don’t celebrate enough. Most of us don’t. When things go right, we quickly move on. However, when things aren’t going well, we tend to stay a little longer. There have been some really amazing things that have happened in my life time, this week for that matter that deserve to be celebrated in a BIG way. Whether it’s that my baby boy Jetty hasn’t woken me up in the middle of the night to have me accompany him to the potty for the past week (can I get a witness) or like today, when I saw that I have a free, birthday Starbucks drink on my Starbucks card, I ought to celebrate.
When we take time to CELEBRATE, we cultivate thankfulness and gratitude. Celebration is a great habit to develop in our lives, one that multiplies and continues to bear fruit day after day. It reminds us that all that we have and experience is a gift from Jesus. I would even go further to say that, celebration is a reflection and result of our childlike faith. I have three littles and anytime they practically do anything, or witness something that to me could seem ordinary, they celebrate! They clap their hands, do a little dance and say things like, “Isn’t that so awesome?!” They are in awe and wonder over the smallest detail. Overtime, we lose that childlike faith and exchange our party hats for cynicism; we put up walls and await for the other shoe to drop.
Becuase of this reality, celebration takes intentionality! So, when you think about something or someone, CELEBRATE that person/ that thing (doesn’t have to be on Facebook, just saying) throw a party, eat the cake and do a little dance. It might just be a scribbled piece of “art work” from your two year old, but in the spirit of celebration it might as well be the Mona Lisa.
So, let’s celebrate more, together! Who’s with me?
Blurry pic, but whatevaa.