Celebration

Yesterday (26 Aug)
I was playing the piano 'Celebrate Jesus Celebrate' and i was just thinking about how ironic this situation was. I felt like a real professional all ready to jam any song on the keyboard/piano. Unfortunately the only song i know how to play was 'Celebrate Jesus Celebrate'. I just knew He was trying to tell me something then.

I thought about my middle name, the year of celebration. And I thought back through my life, have i lived up to this name? And to me it felt like a resounding yes. But then bad memories came flooding back, like black clouds across the sky. And i told myself, no, you haven't really.

27 Aug Thurs Daily Bread-
Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart does good, like medicine."
The title was light as a feather, joy. It felt like a continuation of my thought process yesterday, joy. As i read whilst walking along the road, i turned up to see the sky. It was to me, magnificent, sad, yet beautiful. The whole sky was covered with dark clouds, but the beautiful thing about the sky this morning was that there was the sun behind a cloud, it produced a small light, though small, yet significant. And it reminded me of the famous story of what peace was depicted as by the artist - a dove in a nest, surrounded by storms everywhere else. Its not as if i didnt know that joy was actually more... needed in times of difficulty, but it never occurred to me, (okay maybe it did a long time ago) that the yardstick of what joy really was could be measured by how we can still be able to find joy in the midst of storms. The sun hidden by all the clouds still managed to produce a beautiful sight and lesson to me, how much more, when we go through times of trials and still am able to come back and thank the Lord. What a testimony it would be.


I felt more encouraged, perhaps i have lived up to my name.
As a side note, i always felt... sometimes foolish, sometimes childish, as if i was always judged whenever i worshiped jumping in front, dancing. (its inevitable when people start to say they notice me when i worship) But this week He has just been affirming me that to worship him in the way i want to, abandoned, is a huge sign of my love for me. First it was a friend whom i recently met, and today i read a verse i had seen before on another friend's email sign off, 2 Sam 6:22 " I will become even more undignified than this, and i will be humiliated in my own eyes." David was responding to Michal's retort that David had not acted as a king because He was dancing and celebrating the return of the ark of the Lord, but yet somehow David knew that he did not have to act like a king to BE one. It was practically his identity. And besides, in God's eyes, it was the best offering of praise. At this moment i think i understand how and why my friend is really so daring, radical, so brave and bold in her pursuit for God. It is truly a verse to live by.
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I do not have to be afraid of what others think when i'm the only one stepping out because i want to be myself, if David as a king could in the bible's words be "disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would" I'm guessing its not only alright to be myself, i SHOULD.


So yes, in conclusion, i find it ironic once again how i used to despise my middle name and yet now want to live up to what it means. i have been living up to my name, and i hope to do so all the rest of my life. And i will continue to play the only song i know how to on the piano as well

Samuel Jubi Lee.