After a quick two-hour trip up the road to Columbus, we reunited with dear friends, Rich and Vera, who we can practically call family having lived in the same home for four years, next door for another year, then up the street for four more years. It’s difficult to put all the life we shared together into a few words, but I think the word, “celebrate” sums it up.
We had plenty of reasons to celebrate including the usual birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, homecomings, major sports events, and holidays. And then we mastered the art of finding all kinds of reasons for sharing fun, food, family, and friends. An unexpected visitor, a mid-March winter warm up, a friend’s gift of homemade bread that we felt had to be shared.
In all of this, our rejoicing together mirrors the same thing that Israel recognized in their yearly celebrations (feasts) recorded in the Old Testament—God’s provision for His people. (See Jesus in the Gospel of John, Part 2: Fulfilling the Law and Keeping the Feasts).
However, in this day of God’s grace, He has already provided our complete salvation in Jesus Christ, God’s Word revealed for us as to how to walk in this newness of life, and the sweet fellowship with one another in the body of Christ. No more waiting for the feast days, every day is a holiday! (Read more on this in Every Day is a Holiday!)
Proverbs 15:15:
All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
Our visit this time was no exception. As soon as we were settled, Vera took the three of us on the first real walk of our trip on a lovely path through the park to Pizza Cucinova in the heart of Westerville. After our mini-feast and a bit of catching up, we soaked up more sunshine on the way home. Then Rich joined us!
The five of us rejoiced together in God’s deliverance and provision at every turn in the previous couple of years—great jobs, healthy families, and sweet fellowship with so many friends along the way. And yes, of course some hard times too. But we had come through all by God’s grace and mercy and this was the time to rejoice! In many ways, it reminds me of the Jews’ deliverance in the book of Esther.
Esther 8:16-17:
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day.
So we all jumped in to help prepare the evening feast, one of everybody’s favorites—grilled salmon. And then to add blessing upon blessing, their son Michael came to share with us in the reunion celebration. We always love his ready-for-something-great-to-happen attitude and his quick wit; we laugh a lot when he is around.
The next morning, we needed to leave early in anticipation of the 5-hour drive to Grand Rapids, Michigan. (No sign of Cindy’s driver’s license so I’m still driving.) I’m a little sad, as I have been every time along the road when we’ve left dear friends and family behind. But I know there is so much to look forward to in the days ahead as we continue to travel down the road as God leads, enjoying the journey.
Ecclesiastes 9:7:
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
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