This past month on 11/11 my wife and I celebrated our anniversary. It’s been a long year with non-stop travels, cross-country moves, union strikes, working tirelessly in remote locations, running after dreams that seem so far off, and an endless list of tiring and often difficult moments. So when it came to the end of the year and our special day— honestly, we were tired, drained even. We didn’t entirely feel that we had it in us to do much more than order in, watch a movie, and go to sleep. But something deep down in our hearts, told us to push through the lethargic fog that life had brought on and make the choice to celebrate. So we did, even though we were weary and worn, we went and saw our favorite artist live in concert, then we took a road trip to a beautiful place we had never been before. We ate our favorite foods and drank our favorite drinks. We sang, laughed, feasted and celebrated. And somewhere in the midst of our celebration, we suddenly felt the weights of stress, anxiety, exhaustion, fears about the future and disappointments of the past, begin to trickle away as emotions of joy, peace, and new life took their places.

Life is a tiresome ordeal, for all of us. The stresses of life can leave us depleted and drained. And often the idea of celebration feels more like a chore than a reward. But God is a God of celebration, Heaven is described as a feast. He has designed us to find life and renewed minds and hearts through the act of taking time to recognize and revel in His beauty. And his beauty exists in his creation, in good food and drink, beautiful music, breathtaking views, and the laughs, smiles, and company of loved ones.

The world is a difficult place, it always has been. There’s a never ending list of things to be depressed, worried, anxious, and tired about. But, even though it can be hard, making the choice to celebrate, to see the his beauty all around us, will surely breathe new life and peace into our lives.

We are entering the “holiday season” a time built for celebration. I encourage you to join me in making the often hard choice to celebrate in this season.