Weep and Celebrate

Times of transition are hard. There's no denying that. You long for what was and what has yet to come, so it can be hard to place yourself in what currently is. Especially when that longing begins to form the question of: how long?

How long is this transition? How long is this transformation? How long is this season going to last? When will I be able to hold in my hands that which I desire?

But no matter how long it lasts, you have to start from the beginning. And when you're in that space of longing, it can be hard to praise what is just beginning to form.

How can you shout in praise about a foundation?

You can't build a house without a foundation. You have to start from the bottom and work your way up. The same goes for whatever it is that you desire in life.

The problem with foundations is that they can look like empty promises compared to what you've known or what you expect the finished product to look like. To shout in praise about foundations we must shift our perspective.

Shift our perspective to see what currently is, even if it's unfinished.

How can you express your joy for something that isn't finished yet?

First you must answer the question: can you celebrate what hasn't been finished yet? Because the how won't matter if you don't see the value in the what.

The value of a foundation is found in the name itself. It is the base which everything else is built from. With this knowledge, you'd think that it would be easy to celebrate the building blocks of whatever it is you desire.

For what you desire can't be manifest without a foundation.

But our mind tends to do one or two things:

1. Retell stories from our past about former glories

2. Play a highlight reel of what future glories should look like

And in the retelling or foretelling we get stuck in a loop of longing that keeps us from being able to celebrate the truth that we are, in fact, building something new.

And we weep. We weep because we know what "could have been" and/or we weep because we are so eager to hold what "could be." In most cases, it's a both-and situation.

Don't get me wrong – weep! It's cleansing for the soul and helps you process what you're moving through, but don't get stuck in the loop.

If we can hold tight to the value of a foundation, it can anchor us in what is. It can anchor us in the transformation itself.

And the transformation season is where the big miracles happen. The ones that take who you were and what you learned, and shape you into who you are becoming.

You can't skip the process of building. You can't skip the mess, the dirt, the mud. That's where the foundation is laid.

If you want to hold your desires in your hand, you have to be willing to celebrate the goodness that is found in the work of building. Rejoice in the small steps that have already been taken, the few blocks that have already been placed.

Can you weep in longing for what is coming at the same time you shout for joy in what is already built?

We humans are so blessed to be able to experience such a wide range of emotions. Sometimes we forget that we have the permission to feel more than one emotion at a time. Even when they seem like opponents.

So many people think that if they're mad they have to stay mad. Or that you can't go through cycles of emotions throughout the day.

But I'm here to ask you: what if you allowed yourself to weep in longing AND celebrate what you already have?

Have you ever gone through a rough time and laugh-cried at the sheer audacity and hilarity of the situation as a whole?

There was one time where I was having a really rough morning so I decided to stop and get myself a bagel and coffee for a treat. I got home, sat down to eat my bagel and when I opened the wrapping, part of the bagel fell cream cheese side down on the carpet.

A few tears started to well up in my eyes, I said some choice words and then, seemingly out of nowhere, I started laughing. Like, belly laughing.

The audacity of the situation at hand and the hilarity of it all escaped my body in the form of tears and laughter. How dare my bagel do this to me?! I just wanted to find a moment of joy eating my bagel in a day that felt filled with turmoil.

Did you see it? The joy was found – just in the midst of being upset and not in the way I thought it'd be found.

This is a much simpler example than moments found during a transformation season, but the lesson is the same. You can express two seemingly opposing emotions at the same time, or in close proximity to one another.

Can you hold on to 'what is' long enough for what will be?

We are so eager to get to the finish line. So eager that it causes us to weep in longing yet forget to celebrate where we are.

God put our dreams in us to be manifested. If God put it in you, then it will be given to you.

Hold tight to the promise that it will be finished. Just remember that it may not be finished in the time you thought it'd be or may not look like what you thought it would.

Let go of those specific outcome expectations, while holding the expectation that God is working miracles in your life.

Weep and celebrate. Long for and move forward.