Feel vs. Choose

There are many days I do not feel like celebrating.

Last week my mother was in a car accident. We are thankful that everyone involved is okay. But we are not celebrating the fact that it happened, or the ramifications of someone else’s carelessness.

Needless to say, I’ve struggled to figure out what to write this past week when celebration, appreciation and gratitude seem distant.

I don’t feel like celebrating the cold weather.
I don’t feel like celebrating when work is tough.
I don’t feel like celebrating tension in a friendship.
I don’t feel like celebrating that those I love are sick.
I don’t feel like celebrating the injustice I see around me.
I don’t feel like celebrating during grief and loss.
I don’t feel like celebrating every moment.

But when I finally admitted to myself that I felt crushed this week, I was able to take steps toward gratitude, appreciation and celebration.

It’s easy to see the things that are not great when we look back, which is all the more reason to make a conscious effort to take note of and celebrate the good moments, big or small.

I choose to celebrate the autumn colours.
I choose to celebrate my great coworkers.
I choose to celebrate the friends around me.
I choose to celebrate our access to healthcare.
I choose to celebrate those that fight for justice.
I choose to celebrate with hope and joy.
I choose to celebrate the good moments.

When we choose to celebrate, we can diminish the power of the darkness around us. When we diminish the depth of darkness, others will also be affected by the gratitude they see in us. The ripple effect of this choice is greater than we can imagine.

So this week, let’s remind ourselves of the blessings that we can celebrate, even when we don’t feel like it as we strive to be ‘The Hand of God in the Heart of the City.’

Grace & Peace,
Erin