When I look for wisdom, there’s really only one place to go. It is isn’t fortune cookies or bumper stickers. …While we’re on the subject though, why do fortune cookies taste so bad? I mean, I just had some delicious Kung Pao Chicken. Can’t I get a cookie that tastes like chocolate chip or maybe oatmeal raisin? But I digress… No, when it comes to true wisdom and sage advice I look to Facebook.

Yes, Facebook.

A friend recently wrote: I believe that life begs for celebration.

It was followed by a smiley face emoticon, of course.

Such a simple, uplifting statement. But is it true? Or rather, do I recognize the truth in it? If I’m honest, isn’t life for me more accurately described as begging for

consternation
aggravation
desperation
limitation
isolation

and a dozen other words that I may have stolen straight from the U2 song Bad.

I mean, from the fifth time I hit the snooze button in the morning until my head hits the pillow at night, how much of my day is spent celebrating and how much is spent just trying to make it through. Running late. Stressed. Trying to make ends meet. Trying to please somebody. Anybody.

My nephew doesn’t have this problem. He’s two, and he lives to celebrate life. The other day he was in the hallway spinning around in circles. As he was spinning, he was saying “Spin. Spin. Spin.” When he wasn’t spinning he was laughing. Then he made a mad dash across the living room floor. Sort of sideways. Then he laughed some more. Like I said, the kid knows how to celebrate.

A few weeks ago, I was at a wedding. (Actually, I officiated the wedding, but that’s a whole other story.) The day was filled with all the wedding day things you’d expect. Things such as looking at YouTube videos on how to tie a bow tie (note to self: get a clip-on), and taking tons and tons of pictures. Despite my oversized role in the ceremony, the wedding went off quite smoothly. The parents were proud, the bride and groom were the picture of love, smiling the entire time. Wedding cake was cut. Champagne toasts were made. Rice wasn’t thrown, but does anybody really do that anymore? Afterwards, the bride’s father took us all out to dinner for barbecue and beer. Now, there’s a man who knows how to celebrate.

Psalms 118:24 says “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I think that was meant to be shouted “THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!”

Ask any kid (or teacher) on the last day of the school year before summer break. They’ll tell you. Life begs for celebration.

But what if life isn’t really celebratory right now? What if you’re alone? The marriage isn’t working out? There’s sickness? Or pain? Or death?

There is a time for everything. If you need to hurt, then hurt. If you need to mourn, then mourn. It’s appropriate. Find a friend to mourn with you. That’s a true friend. God mourns. Jesus weeps. We hurt. The Psalmist isn’t saying rejoice in the face of overwhelming pain.

So if you need to hold on, then hold on. ….and then, when it’s time, let go.

Look up.
Slow down.
Take a breath.
And then another.
Get involved.
Take a chance.
Take a trip.

Whatever you need to do to see that life is more than just a never ending battle with the alarm clock, traffic, work, stress and the routine. God didn’t make us to just get by. To just exist. To spend the day worried about tomorrow or regretting yesterday. To be mistreated. To mistreat ourselves, or others. To fill our days so full of the ordinary and mundane that we miss the CELEBRATION that’s going on all around us

Spinning
Barbecuing
Tebowing (I hear that’s trademarked now. So maybe celebrate a different way)

Life begs for celebration.