I made an offer on a small hobby farm on Monday. Tuesday I got the word via email that the offer was accepted with no major counters. My response to the email was:

Woo hoo!

West Point Class of 2010 by The U.S. Army

A moment of exhilaration and excitement. I shared the news with a couple of people and then went back to my daily tasks. My work, my to-do list, my scheduled appointments. Life.

Why Not Celebrate?
It seems sad to me that I am not celebrating this event in my life more. I’ve dreamt of having a hobby farm for 15 years. It’s finally going to happen. Perhaps I’m protecting myself from disappointment that may arise if the inspection doesn’t go well or the financing hits a snag. Subconsciously I may be thinking that if the deal falls through, I don’t want to be crushed.

What a pessimistic outlook! How short-sighted!

I’ve never been one to reflect for long on accomplishments or goals that I’ve reached. I don’t celebrate when I get new clients. I don’t celebrate when I place a story in magazine or have a successful client event. There’s always something else to do, to keep striving towards.

Cultivating Gratitude
I personally need to take more than a moment to celebrate when God hands me a dream or helps me reach a goal. What about you? Celebrating cultivates a heart of gratitude for all God has done. By noting his faithfulness in the good times and bad, we build our faith and trust in him.

Old Testament Examples
The Israelites sang a song of thankfulness after God provided them an escape from the pursuing Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. It’s recorded in Exodus 15.

1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise him—
my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah acknowledged God’s sovereignty over all things and praised him for it after her long-desired son was born.

1 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

Question: How do you celebrate accomplishments and milestones? If you don’t celebrate, why? What can we learn from the Israelites and Hannah?