Revelation. It was the next book staring at me as I turned the page from Jude on my journey through the New Testament in recent months. My first thoughts were: Ugh. I don’t want to read Revelation. Crazy visions, bowls of wrath, angels, sealed books, dragons with seven heads, and sea beasts. No one knows exactly what any of it means, and I don’t think God will mind if I skip it this time around.
But, for good or for bad, there is a strong drive inside of me to complete things. The bad looks like not letting go of things or trying to force things that were not meant to be. The good looks like loyalty to people and tasks and responsibilities. Not reading Revelation began to feel like an act of betrayal or rebellion (though it’s not necessarily), and so guess what I did?
I read it.
Very reluctantly at first, but still.
And just like He promises, God’s Word, like rain and snow, fell down from heaven and watered the garden of my heart causing things to sprout and grow and accomplish (I’m sure) what God desired.
Here are the verses (of worship, promise, justice, victory, and of hope) I copied down in my journal on different days as I read:
Revelation 21: 4
It was the verses from chapter 7 and 21 that were most meaningful and insightful to me this time. Both verses mention the end of certain things – hunger, thirst, the harshness of our days, death, mourning, and tears. And I know it sounds obvious, but what struck me is this: if those things will come to an end when Christ returns, it means that right now they are very much a part of our lives.
No one likes to focus on it (and I’m not advocating that we do), but the truth is that our lives are currently characterized by an ongoing hunger and thirst for food, drink, love, comfort, and security. Our days are filled with work that is endless, difficult, and often futile. We experience loss, disease, death, and deep grief.
So why Celebration Grace?
Well, it’s because even in the midst of a fallen world, God allows sweet celebrations, joyful milestones and faithful friendships. My read-through of the book of Revelation corresponded with the planning, preparing, and celebrating of Kayla’s graduation with a party last week.
There was a midweek fellowship of friends from church over tassel and pennant making to decorate for the party. It was a spontaneous gathering of girls from church around my dining room table learning to work with tissue paper, laughing, and eating leftovers from my pantry and frig.
Our wonderful and believing Airbnb guests got in on the action, too. The dad and teen boys hauled away big branches and limbs from Robert’s yard trimming efforts one afternoon. The mom and young daughter helped make long chains of the tissue paper tassels and paper pennants one evening.
The same girls from church showed up early on the day of the party to decorate, do chalk art, and set out food and drink.
Later our backyard was filled with friends and family – old and new from near and far.
There was food, laughter, and sunshine. There were gifts, games, and goofiness. There was encouragement, there were compliments, and there was celebration.
It was an obvious display of grace: good gifts given to those who don’t deserve them in a world known for tears and despair and death.
I still long (more and more) for the restoration of all things about which God spoke, (i.e. no more tears and despair and death) but in the meantime I’m grateful for the undeserved but graciously given gift of celebration.
Who knew that the book of Revelation was a perfect party-planning companion? But it was! And really, I should have known. Its truth and future promises provided inspiration to defy the hopelessness of our current days by indulging in God’s grace and practicing for the unending celebration that is to come.
(P.S. Big thank you to our friend, Lois, for capturing so many sweet moments on “film” at Kayla’s graduation party!)