Celebrating Joy

I've been resisting mentioning Valentines Day.  I'm not given to celebrations in general, and greeting card holidays really sort of annoy me.  I think it is vestiges of my past life.  I remember one Valentines Day sometime in the '80s, when friends and I bought a box of chocolates and threw them at the happy couples we saw walking around town.  I was an angry child, and I'm still working that out of my soul.  I was pondering this morning as I scrolled through my news feed on facebook why this is.

I had intended to write about creature comforts when I sat down to my computer.  We had a little exercise in giving up some comforts this weekend.  It is always a good thing to let go of something for a time and see how you react.  I remember when I was packing for Ethiopia last year, thinking about things that I wanted to have with me.  I knew I was going to the land of coffee, so I didn't need to worry for lack in that area.  But I did make sure I had some comfort foods in my bags, all of my bags, just in case.  It seemed silly at the time, and still does.  Why do I find that little bittersweet taste in my mouth in so soothing?  I am sure there are all kinds of scientific studies to explain the brain chemistry.  But why do I, a professing Christian, find comfort in a little sweet taste, when I have the King of Kings as a father?

I realized this weekend how petty my complaints are, and how little I find joy in the blessings all around me.  I can zip happily along until some little bump gets in my way.  I let that little bump grow into a giant mountain of discontent and bitterness.  I start throwing all my complaints and grumbling on the heap, until it ruins my whole day.  I am going to try to take a new path here.  When the bump arises, and it is usually laughably small, I will be thankful for the opportunity to conquer this little sin of mine.  It will remind me to celebrate with joy, all the blessings I was overlooking while zipping along in my comfort zone.  I am going to look for joy.  I know God will give me eyes to see the joy that is everywhere in my life.  It won't happen over night, but I know that I can work in new habits, and that it is God's will for me.

This gets me back to annoyance with Valentine's Day.  I think my scroogyness with celebration is that I can see all the work involved.  I see Valentine's Day as a day to cut up bits of paper and strew them all over my house.  I see pink sprinkles stuck to my carpet and walls.  I see hours of cutting out heart shaped cookies that will be consumed in thirty minutes, (thank you Noel for taking that task off my hands, the kids loved it!).  I need to turn my eyeballs around and see the smiles.  I need to hear the laughter as the sprinkles fly.  I need to ponder the delighted heart that wrote "I love you, Mom.  Happy Valentines Day." on the colored paper hearts that are stuck to my calendar.  I need to look for the joy, and thank God for His gracious love to me.  He loved me in all of my stinginess and anger.  He saved me from that chocolate throwing angry girl that I once was, and made me into His child.  I need to extend that grace to my children, and neighbors through being joyful at the messy celebrations that life brings.  May this Valentines Day be filled with joy and love in each and every one of your homes today.