Sunday, October 11, 2009

Celebration in the Moment


An action filled word, to celebrate: based on celebrant, celebrare, and celebrationem, and generally carries the connotation of something joyful, honoring, talked about, and festivities. To celebrate in the moment, is to realize that the moment is fleeting and irreplaceable. It is also a mind set, not based on emotion, but a choice of how to respond.

I remember hearing someone once talk about eternity. Standing in a large room, he strung a piece of yarn from one wall to the other and asked us to imagine that that was a small piece of eternity. Then, on that string, he pinched one section and that half inch, that is our life on earth. It’s a tiny spot.

So, knowing that it is short-lived, we start looking at moments, micro-measurements along the thread. Today was the first snow – October 10 and snow arrived! I can moan and groan about not being ready for winter to come, wanting warm weather still, or I can choose to celebrate the moment. Instead of moaning, I slipped on the big rubber farm boots and went out with the dogs. The pup thought that a million white butterflies had arrived and was giddy with excitement. She chased snow flakes, jumping up and down, pouncing the swirls, and just standing back in awe at her first view of that frozen white wonder. I thought it was a great example of how I can look at life. I can moan and groan about something unexpected, or something that I wasn’t ready for – or I can jump in and choose to celebrate.

Sometimes, things occur that are hard or painful. We may bring it on ourselves or we may be feeling the effects of what someone else has done to us. How do we celebrate in that? We celebrate that there is redemption even in the worst of things for us and for others. We celebrate that God is always with us, and provides the shelter and answers we most need right at the perfect time, though in often unexpected ways. We can choose to celebrate learning from this time, learning from the past and having a better future.

It’s the first snow – let’s celebrate it!

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