This is a blog about something I learned last month about celebration.
One day as I sat in church for the last time in Dzoole and watched the women dance and sing in the small building with the concrete floor, open windows, and tin roof I began to think. I thought about how I feel as if I am becoming numb to the poverty we witness every day on the race.
The people we encounter and live with have little to no poses ions, the majority of the kids only have one set of clothes, many of the people live in small and simple one room homes, many places don’t have clean water, much less running water, electricity or plumbing, they mainly live on the food that they grow, a lot of children are undernourished and have an orange-ish tint to their hair, and we see the kids fight over our trash and play with it as if it is a brand new toy.
So much of this has become normal to me and I find that it doesn’t always hit me as hard as it did in the beginning. Not because I don’t care but because sometimes it is easy to forget when the people are content and full of joy.
I’m not saying that their lives are easy, that poverty is easy, or that their days aren’t filled with difficulties and hardships; but I am saying that their joy is rooted in a source that is deeper than their circumstances; it flows from a place deep within and bubbles up in a joy and thankfulness for life and for each day and each moment.
I realized last month that I struggle with being content exactly where I am. I am always looking forward to the next thing life will bring. Before the race I counted down the days until I left for the race. Now that I am on the race I look forward to debrief, next month, and what life after the race will look like. I struggle to be exactly where I am and I think that the next phase of life will bring the contentment and joy that I desire.
In Zambia I read Annie’s favorite book, Cold Tangerines. This past month I found myself re-reading several of the chapters because they are full of so much truth.
This is one of my favorite quotes.
“That’s what I want my life to be, like a well-loved gift. I think life, just life, just breathing in and out, is a great gift. God gives us something amazing when He gives us life, and I want to live with gratitude. I want to live in such a way that shows I appreciate the gift.”
That is what I want and how I want to live my life. I want my life to reflect my thankfulness for this amazing gift.
I want to live with joy and thankfulness and celebration.
As church continued that day my team got up to sing and I felt the Spirit stirring. As Malawians shouted out and cheered as we sang “there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain”, I felt the Lord whisper, “these are the moments you are here for.” And I heard those words reverberate through the rest of that day.
These are the moments you are here for.
Painting little girls’ nails… and the boys too when they keep pushing through the line, eager to have their dirty little nails painted pink too. Enjoying riding to town with the windows down and the cool breeze in my face. Rejoicing when we find a stash of Cadbury chocolate bars in the grocery store when we thought we cleared the store out weeks ago. Not feeling guilty about eating an entire container of Cikonella (Malawi nutella) in two days because, hey, it’s Christmas. Playing had clapping games until my arms are sore. Playing fishbowl with the team and being able to laugh at myself when I call Easter Island “Easter Egg Heads”. Jamming to Disney music while waiting for dinner. Being thankful for the meal of rice and greens that we have had for approximately sixty other meals this month. Taking a million selfies with the kids.
This is it. This is the life I am given and these are the little moments in an ordinary day that I get to have.
I don’t want my joy and contentment to be based in my circumstances that are ever-changing but I want it to flow from Jesus who never changes.
Psalm 4:7 says, “you put more joy in my heart than when their grain and wine abound.”
The joy of the Lord is deeper and better than any happiness that the world can offer.
I want to live content in where the Lord has for me and not looking to the next big thing. I want to celebrate the little moments of life and not save it for the “big and important” things.
Because “the greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of His love.”
Julian of Norwich.
