The Discipline of Celebration #celebratehappywednesday

Celebration is the theme of the month here at A Little Light and I am so excited to hear what we all learn about celebrating this month. Celebrating comes to some people very  naturally but I think the majority of us have to work to fill our hearts and mind with the good things and God’s love for us. And in some seasons it is just plain hard to find things to celebrate. Celebration takes practice and tenacity; it is a discipline. I’d like to share with you some of my story about learning the discipline of celebration.

Each year in the winter I get hit with the winter blues hard. Really hard. I look back on most of the years since I was 15 years old and remember varying degrees of moderate to severe lack of energy, depression, and burnout. I lack a diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder but it seems likely to be the culprit. There was one glorious winter we were in Mexico all through the winter season and I felt relief then. It was a gift to my husband and I from God, all that sun. We conceived our first child there after a year of waiting, with one miscarriage in the depths of winter in Northern Manitoba.

In Bible school we read Richard Fosters book The Celebration of Discipline and I was introduced to spiritual disciplines such as worship, meditation, confession, fasting, and celebration. It was a relief to learn that joy and gratitude that lead to celebration take work and intentional living. At that time I recognized that I could perhaps be too melancholy, taking life seriously and neglecting to see God’s goodness throughout life. I wanted to intentionally incorporate celebration into my life so I created a weekly discipline of celebration.

I dubbed Wednesdays “Happy Wednesdays”. I wrote little notes and left treats in front of dormmates’ doors, would go on walks in my favourite places, eat pickles, bring flowers to an acquaintance, eat these oh-so-good mocha muffins only served on Wednesdays. Some of it was sharing good things, some of it eating good things, some of it looking at beautiful things, and it was all about remembering God’s good things. Mini celebrations in the middle of the week.

It’s been a long time since I have celebrated Happy Wednesday, somewhere between our sunny happy Mexico stay and having kids I dropped the discipline of celebration. And friends, I am feeling it. I want to return to that discipline of celebration. I NEED to return to that discipline. It is not going to be easy, this current winter season is my hardest in four years. But I know a God who loves me, who will take care of me in my depression, who is worthy of celebrating. I want to celebrate how God provides for me, how He loves me, how He uses me, and how He does the same with you.

I want to invite you to join me in the discipline of celebration. Each Wednesday we are going to spend the day celebrating. Maybe it is a dance party with your toddlers, making something creative, watching a funny show with your husband at the end of the work day just to laugh, listing things you are thankful for in your journal, preparing a meal to share with friends. It’s about intentionally taking the time. Not curating a life that appears celebratory but celebrating God’s lovingkindness which is already in our lives.

Use #celebratehappywednesday and share with us how you are celebrating. We are a community, and celebration is a community thing!  Help me to stay accountable to this discipline and check in on our Instagram feed on Wednesdays. I can’t wait to celebrate with you!