Celebrate

Today is Matt's birthday. He's pretty easy to please when it comes to holidays like birthdays and anniversaries. Before the kids came along (and when they were smaller) it was tempting to keep the festivities to a minimum. Matt certainly doesn't have any expectations about there being cake and streamers and presents on the table. . . But Caleb and Ali do. It is a big deal to them that today is Daddy's birthday. If we went through this whole day and didn't do anything to celebrate, I think they would actually be heartbroken.

I love that they have such a fierce passion for celebrating. This past weekend we celebrated the birthday of a great friend. After making the cake Caleb ran to his room to bring out party supplies. He thought it would be fun to play Yahtzee at "the party," and since my decorations were limited he brought out his graduation balloon to help with the celebration. It was a big deal to him. They are exponentially more obsessive about their own birthdays, but I think its awesome that they want so badly to help other people celebrate their birthdays, too!

This morning I read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. What a great reminder of the way that God the Father celebrates over us, His beloved sons and daughters. There is no minimalism in God's festivities when it comes to His children coming back home to Him. No matter how far we have strayed or how long we stayed away, God is not ashamed to run to us, throw His arms around us, and order the biggest party of the year in celebration of our return.

I am going to celebrate my hubby today. I am going to try and do it with the same fierce passion that I see in my children - and in my God.

Don't be afraid to go a little over the top in celebrating the people in your life. . . after all, its a beautifully tangible reminder of how God celebrates over us.