Celebrate the small stuff!

My wife and I recently came across the t-shirt shown below while on vacation. Although I was quite tempted to make a purchase right there on the spot, my wife wisely convinced me otherwise. I’m glad she can be a voice of reason in my moments of immature weakness. I mean, as Brittany rightly pointed out, the shirt’s design is a tad on the inappropriate side and begs for more contextual information than anyone cares to know – at least probably more than I should be comfortable with giving. However, with that being said, I think it does communicate a helpful principle that would serve each of us well today. Ready for it? The message is simply this: celebrate the small stuff!

This would be an awesome camp shirt!!

Think about it… Your kids are going back to school (possibly even going off to school) and your old friends, Routine and Structure, are moving back in…Celebrate! That thought kinda make you sad? It does me too, but shouldn’t we be grateful for their natural and healthy developmental progress? Let’s celebrate! Sure summer is winding down, but wasn’t it nice? Did you enjoy the milder than usual temperatures? Did you notice a difference in your electric bill? Celebrate! Did you enjoy a sno-cone or two or three dozen? My friend, celebrate! Did you get to sleep-in a few extra times? Did you have a chance for a vacation? Even if it was a shorter trip than you had dreamed or it cost far more than it was worth, aren’t you thankful for some time away?

Maybe you didn’t get a break at all and the summer was just another hectic season of all work and no play… If so, perhaps this week marks the end of the madness. You know what that means – it is time to celebrate! Okay…so you are in a perpetual state of craziness and you are struggling to find any type of joy or purpose… 1) I’m sincerely sorry! 2) This would appear to be God’s grace allowing you to see that something’s gotta give. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? Where is the benefit in sacrificing your each and every “today” for a tomorrow that never comes? And if that nest egg you’re killing yourself for or that star child-athlete actually does turn professional someday… Will it be worth this?! Is there no value in what you are missing now?! Hear the Savior’s invitation to find rest in Him alone. Find a peace and satisfaction from the only One that can truly provide it…and celebrate that those burdens are no longer yours to carry!

Are you under the weather today? I’m not suggesting that I would rejoice in being ill either, however, it could always be much worse, right? The real point I’m getting at is that most mornings we awake feeling well… Are we appreciative? Most evenings we go to bed with far more than adequate provisions – be it shelter, food, safety, or the like…oh, but are we grateful? Better question, do we see where these gifts come from? Do we know the One who grants such undeserved goodness?

Here’s the deal… If we fail to see God’s grace in the little things, we might unfortunately miss far more. We may stumble into the dangerous belief that it is we who make our smaller, daily blessings happen while falsely seeing God as quiet, far-removed, and seemingly inactive. Truth is this: in a myriad of ways each and every day God fiercely pursues the attention and affection of our hearts so that we will ultimately find an inexpressible and glory-filled joy in Him alone. While the chaotic nature of life demands that we must do more, the cross exclaims that it is done!! In contrast to the expectant self-centered societal urges of our culture, the cross reminds us of all we truly deserve and yet, the sweet mercy we receive instead. Our feelings and emotions can confuse fear from reality and cloud what’s right for the pressures of right now. Meanwhile, the cross beckons us back. It brings clarity. It offers hope and sanity. It awakens our souls to deeper longings which are only satisfied by the Spirit’s filling.

You may read this as silly and senseless. Perhaps there was nothing said above that resonates with you. You may even be so “punny” as to say that this blog “stinks!” In fact, this Monday’s topic may only be for me. Nevertheless, I pray that despite my goofiness, we might find encouragement and through the Lord’s help, learn to celebrate the small stuff.