Passage of the Day:
Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad, Psalm 118:19-24.
Reflection:
As the son of an immigrant, my family only celebrated important occasions. Besides going out to dinner for birthdays and job/school related accomplishments, my mother prepared meals 29-30 days a month. From a spiritual perspective, partaking in my first communion and completing the Confirmation process were celebrated by my parents. Unfortunately, I fail to celebrate God’s answers to prayers, the gift of another day on earth and blessings in disguised showered upon my life by God. Christian celebration shouldn’t be limited to Sundays at church. Rather, the spiritual discipline of celebration should be emphasized like gratitude journals, stopping daily to thank the Lord for the little things in this life.
Prayerful Action:
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, Psalm 150:6.
Working Out Your Salvation:
Sports fans have become excellent at celebrating each win of their favorite team. Fantasy sports, tailgating and watch parties make the celebrating experience memorable. I remember exactly who I was with the last time the Phillies won the World Series and the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Perhaps, working out your salvation this July includes investing the same time and energy into God that you pour into entertainment and sports. Ask the Lord to open your eyes so that you can begin to celebrate the minor miracles and small wonders that God is doing in your life.
Song of the Day:
As you start searching for things to celebrate, you’ll find God working behind the scenes. While you may not see progress in the time frame that you want things to occur, learn to celebrate the subtle transformations that the Holy Spirit is doing inside of you this summer.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 