Worth Celebrating

“Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.” ~Osho

Today marks the beginning of my birthday week. What a glorious week it will be, filled with adventures, sweet treats, balloons, streamers, treasure hunts, and oodles of celebration. Even better, this week reminds me that God has graciously given me thirty-seven years to live, learn, and celebrate his goodness.

I strongly believe in celebrating life, so I wait with anticipation for someone to tell me that their birthday is “just another day” or “no big deal.” This gives me a chance to remind them that God hand-picked that very day to forever change the world with their presence. He does nothing by chance and does not make mistakes. He knits each of us together in our mother’s womb and tends to every detail of our creation. The day and year of our birth was chosen on purpose, according to his will.

Let’s just think about that for a moment. God found us worthy of creation. We have purpose, and that alone is worthy of celebration.

When a child is born, there is usually great jubilation. We wonder in awe at God’s miracle. First birthdays are filled with the joy of spending an entire year with this little person, God’s amazing creation. Childhoods are spent marking each milestone with cake, confetti, and smiles. Then, somewhere down the line, the celebrations lessen. We tone down the excitement of our day as we age. This brings up several questions for me:

If our birthdays are important as children, then why do they become less important when we become adults? Is not the miracle of life still worthy of celebration? Has the awe and wonder worn off? And, if it has, why? Has God’s miracle and his goodness changed?

God’s own Word says:

“He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.” (James 1:18 NLT).

[Tweet “We are God’s most prized possessions.”] Our value does not diminish with age. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in his image. This is cause for true celebration.

The truth is that we do not need a special day to celebrate the life we have been given. However, birthdays rekindle that spark of jubilation and remind us that each day holds endless possibilities for wonder, adventure, and celebration. We need only to remember that today is worth celebrating.

Lord, thank you for the gift of life. May we see the true miracle you have given us, and may the wonder and awe never fade. You, and all you create, are always worthy of celebration. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 ESV)

 Reach for More

This week’s challenge is to find small ways to celebrate each day. Do you have loads of laundry to do? Put on your favorite CD and sing out loud while you are folding! Slip a special treat in the cart while you are grocery shopping this week. Pick up a pack of sparklers and dance around your yard one evening. To take it even further, share the celebration. Grab an extra coffee and surprise a friend. Write a love note to your hubby and hide it under his pillow. Be creative, have fun, and remember to savor the reason for celebration that daily surrounds you.

Dear friends, we can do this. Be courageous, and let’s be brave enough to turn our ordinary days into extraordinary celebrations.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her sweet hubby, J, and her full-time job is making pretty things all day long for her Etsy business, so sarah designs, but she also loves writing devotional content here at The Glorious Table.