A Summer of Celebration?

So far it seems to have been a ‘summer of celebration’ for me, although perhaps less of the ‘summer’ and more of the ‘celebration’ if you’re watching the weather.

We’ve had jubilee parties, my grandparents’ 60^th wedding anniversary, the 20 year anniversary of the Anglican vicar and his wife coming to Bures, Father’s Day, my own wedding anniversary, family reunions, birthdays, and there’s lots more to come. By the time England win the Euro’s and make a sweep of the golds at the Olympics, I imagine Tesco will be well and truly out of champagne.

It’s got me to thinking a little bit about celebrating.

Celebrating is after all, very biblically based. Right back into the beginnings of Christian history the early Jews were taught to party and celebrate their blessings.  Celebrations are good for morale. They also call us to thank God for all the good things He gives and to spend time with our loved ones.

But if you’ve been feeling a bit ‘celebrated-out’, don’t feel bad. Sometimes when we celebrate a lot, we don’t find the time to talk about the things that are difficult in our lives. That need to share our pain, as well as our joy, can start to make all the partying seem a bit hollow.

It’s not that life isn’t worth celebrating, it’s not that we don’t have an amazing Saviour to praise and it’s not that there’s anything wrong with the parties, it’s just that, the bad things in life keep ticking over, just the same as the good.

The good doesn’t undo the bad, though it might pleasantly distract for a while. Your problems and struggles still need recognising, and dealing with. Don’t let them eat away at you inside while you plaster your jubilee smile on for the umpteenth time. Make time to discuss life’s hardships with people who will listen and give you wise advice.

You need to know that when the last party popper goes off (and it will eventually), you’ve got an ordinary life to go back to which isn’t falling apart around you. So give yourself a break, make space in all the celebrations to attend to your needs.