Celebrate The Milestones.

Milestones are worth celebrating. Here Carol shares some of the things she celebrates with her family, and what we can celebrate about God.

What a Celebration!

My daughter bought herself a 2000-piece puzzle. She had begun putting picture puzzles together less than two years earlier by doing a 300-piece one. It didn’t take her long to advance to 500 pieces and then 750 pieces. Then she picked up her first 1000-piece one which took much longer to finish. Could she actually put together 2000 pieces? Her dad offered to help her. At times they were ready to give up but continued to work on it. Even I helped put a few pieces in towards the end. What a celebration to finish such a big project.

Things We Celebrate

There are other things we celebrate in our lives. It might be at work when we receive a promotion or a raise. It might be in our schooling as we finish high school or college. There are personal milestones we reach throughout our lives and family events to celebrate as well.

When we married, I began a tradition in our family. On a person’s birthday they could choose their favourite foods for our evening meal as well as what type of birthday cake they wanted to have. This applied to the children, of course, but also to my husband, Brian, and me too. His favourite meal usually ended up being lasagna with a lemon no-bake cheesecake for dessert. With a July birthday, I often opted for an ice cream cake. This meant an easy preparation for my family since all they had to do was visit a local Dairy Queen and buy one.

Carrying On the Tradition

My children are now grown. Those with children of their own, carried on the tradition of each person in the family choosing their favourite meal and cake. One granddaughter does not like cake so she chooses something like a Rice Krispee cake shaped into something that can be decorated or a giant chocolate chip cookie instead of cake. It is her choice since it is her special day.

We celebrate birthdays and holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter with our family and with church traditions. For us, it involves getting together with extended family when ever possible. It means special programs at church for Christmas and Easter. Some celebrations involve gift giving as well as favourite foods, treats, and family fun.

We celebrate many milestones in our personal journey and in our families. But do we celebrate the milestones, the victories, and the lessons learned in our spiritual journey? This is a question I have pondered often in the last few years.

Celebrate What God Has Done

One way we can celebrate all the things God has done for us is to share the stories with others. This is an opportunity to let others know how the God of the Bible is still God today. It gives us a chance to tell of the amazing things he has done, explain what he has taught us, and tell of the judgements and lessons he needed to teach us.

In the Psalms we read the commands to tell the next generation of what God has done. Psalm 105:5 says, “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgements he uttered.”

But the Psalms also call us to worship God for who he is as well as what he has done. Worship is a way to celebrate God and his working in the lives of people. Psalm 100 says,

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with Thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever., and his faithfulness to all generations.

How can we celebrate all that God has done in our life, even as we look forward to what he will continue to do? Praising God and sharing the stories of his work in our lives will glorify God, encourage others, and remind us when tough times come that God is in full control.

Let’s just praise the Lord.

What milestones do you and your family celebrate? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.

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