Graduated!

May 19, 2022

Graduated!

Last weekend, students celebrated their graduation from high school.  I knew and celebrated with several of the graduates. 

High School graduation is such a fun time.  There is the celebration of achievement in academics and athletics and the arts.  There is the gathering of family and friends and classmates.  There is the encouragement of school leaders, the prayers of pastors, and the blessing of God. 

High School graduation is a great time of celebration.  Congratulations to all the graduates!

I enjoyed each of the graduations I experienced along my academic journey.  However, each one seemed much less like an ending than a step into the next level of education and training. 

Sometimes I wonder if I really spent enough time enjoying my accomplishments and the celebrations that come with a graduation.  I was often so focused on the future that I seemed to miss the joy in the present moment.

I am reminded of the invitation to celebrate today.  In Psalm 118:24 we hear; “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  No matter what good thing is coming tomorrow, the Psalmist calls us to rejoice and celebrate and be glad today.

I wished I would have done more of that each day; rejoice today, celebrate today, be glad today.  The Apostle Paul offered a very similar invitation to the church in Philippi.  In Philippians 4:4 Paul writes; “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Sometimes rejoicing and celebrating and being glad in the present moment is a challenge. 

The failure I barely survived this morning is still holding me down and back. 

The defeat that devastated me last year still comes back to haunt me sometimes. 

The sadness and loss that was so intense a couple of weeks ago wells up in me when I don’t expect it.

Sometimes rejoicing and celebrating and being glad today is not easy.

And yet, the call is to remember that this day…with all of its ups and downs…is the day the Lord God has given me.  This day is a precious gift of God.  I can choose to celebrate.  I can choose to rejoice.  I can choose to be glad.

Something happens in my head, in my heart, and in my soul when I celebrate and rejoice each day.  My mood is lifted, my praise is elevated, and my steps are lighter.  Celebration brings me into the presence of the Lord God while also making me more attractive to other people.

When I choose to celebrate, my heart fills with delight in the Lord.  My celebration becomes an expression of worship and gratitude and praise to the Lord. 

I invite you to rejoice in the Lord today.  I invite you to celebrate even the smallest of blessings.  I invite you to be glad because Jesus loves you.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug