Party On

Have you ever planned a celebration? You had a theme and reserved the venue. The guest list was ready and invitations sent. Unfortunately, the guest began to cancel for various reasons. With attendance falling, you wondered if you should cancel the event. What do you do? Party On! Whether one hundred show up or none, a celebration is in order. Sometimes, we need to celebrate ourselves. Celebrate what we’ve overcome. Rejoice in the fact that we made it. Regardless of who supports or doesn’t, we party on.

The Story: John 11:43-46

In John 11:43-46, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. This was a time of celebration. A family is restored. A miracle occurred and one would think that everyone would celebrate the glorious event. However, this was not the case. Yes, some saw the miracle and believed in God. Yet, the other group decided to tell the Pharisees about what Jesus did. As expected and planned, the religious leaders began to plot how to kill Jesus.

The Lesson

Yes, we know that everyone’s not going to celebrate when great things happen to us. Unfortunately, some people glory out of the negative experiences of others. Despite the band of Negative Neals and Nancys, we have a choice to make: do we dim our light to make others comfortable or party on? It’s simple. We party on.

We first give thanks to God. He alone gave us the ability to arrive where we are. He helped us overcome adversity. In addition, He strengthened us when the support was small or non-existent. We also recognize that He enabled us to get this far and He deserves immense honor.

Then we thank ourselves for staying in the race. We did good. Yes, hills and valleys were ever-present. The tears came a time or two. Despite everything, we made it. The process taught us things about ourselves. As a result, we’re not the same as we once were. We’re better, stronger, and brighter.

Next, we acknowledge those who stayed. We appreciate the supporters in all their fashion of appearance. Whether they prayed, gave, taught, or listened, we’re thankful. The process showed us the significance of each person around us and we developed greater appreciation and respect.

Also, we mourn, accept, and appreciate those who left. While we’re saddened by the loss, we know they couldn’t stay. Our paths were different. We reached the proverbial fork in the road and parted. No hard feelings for we recognize that seasons don’t last always. We bid farewell as there’s more with us than against us (2 Kings 6:16-18).

Finally, we party on. We rejoice over what was and look forward in anticipation of what’s to come. The future is bright as the sun comes over the horizon. So, no matter what comes our way, we will stand strong (Ephesians 6:13-14).