Today, on this bright Saturday morning, I slowly got up, gathered my journal and Bible and curled up in my favorite chair. Still waking up, my mind was filled with recent different moments and answered prayers in our family that are cause for small celebrations. I had that feeling you have when all seems right in the world again after a difficult season of waiting.
I opened my journal and the question came to mind, "What is on your heart today?" I recognize these kinds of questions as God speaking to my heart and immediately began scanning my interior world for something I hadn't noticed. I wondered if there was something deeper in me He could see that I could not. It kind of felt like when someone asks if you if something is bothering you but nothing is bothering you at all and it makes you self-conscious. With that one question, my view of Him suddenly expanded.
I sat there confused for a moment as I was trying to figure out the question I had just heard. I actually responded, "I don't really know?" and then it occurred to me. Joy and celebration were what was on my heart. He was asking to be invited into my joy and celebration! I was celebrating alone internally, but He was wanting to share it with me. This morning, He didn't want to work on something, fix something, heal something or relate in any other way other than to just share my joy.
I don't know about you, but I love when someone is excited about something and shares it with me. It is a form of intimacy when they invite me into their world. I feel so valued and honored when my young adult and teen children tell me about a success or something they are celebrating in their lives. I love to hear about their struggles and help them navigate life, but I also love when they invite me to share their joy. I know they are giving me something of value to them; something close to their heart that matters. The truth is, there is a lot of vulnerability that comes with sharing joy because if we do and another responds with indifference, it is really hurtful.
God doesn't shun our joy, belittle it, correct it, ignore it or diminish it. He enjoys it. Enjoy means to receive pleasure or satisfaction from something. Our joy brings God joy.
Today I understand a little more that God wants us to do life together - ALL of life. He is a God who celebrates along with us. So much of what we celebrate is a gift from Him, so it is no wonder He loves when we enjoy what He gives. A few days ago I wrote about inviting God into all areas of our lives and that He stands at the door of our moments, but somehow I had overlooked He also wants to be invited into our joy! "Cultivating God Spaces" https://wendygerdes.com/wendy-gerdes/cultivating-god-spaces?hsLang=en
Doing life with God doesn't just mean bringing Him our failures, our hurts, and our hopes but also allowing Him to celebrate with us. The healing, loving, kind, all-knowing God is also the joyful God who enjoys us and wants to share our joy and celebrate all that is well with us.
We truly are never alone in any way in our lives with Him. He wants to be with us in all of it - even the celebration.
I don't do this very often, but here is a peek into my journal this morning:
"I'm realizing You don't just care about what's on my heart that needs fixed but You want to celebrate with me as well. You want to enter into my joy. You rejoice with those who rejoice. (Romans 12:15) You are not a melancholy God, but a joyful one who wants to bring me into Your joy and You want me to invite You into mine.
You don't want only my trials and and the messy places but You also want to share my joy and celebrate with me. You want to enjoy me and for me to enjoy You. That is what is ultimate. In Eternity, there will be nothing to fix and in Eden there was nothing to fix. Fixing me, my situations and helping me are not the sum total of my relationship with You, but my relationship with you is also the joy of just being. The celebrations of life and the joy of being alive I can celebrate with You."
I don't know where you find yourself today, in a celebrating season or a difficult one, but wherever you are, know He is with You.