Commemoration Week 2018 Monday <3

So if you are new to the Journey, Commemoration Week is something I started in 2005 and I am just a wee bit blown away to realize that was 13 years ago AND I have managed to write about it on this blog for five years counting this one.

I just read through all of them from past years and if you have an interest you can find them by entering “Commemoration Week” in the search box at the bottom of this post and you should be able to pull them up.

Here is how the week came about and what it means to me:

In 2005, I stumbled across Exodus 12 – 14 with fresh eyes and strong conviction that freedom from slavery should be intentionally celebrated. When I read these passages, my picture loving mind is aided by childhood memories of Cecil B. DeMille’s Hollywood version of the story…which are still impressive considering the technology available at the time – hello…the Red Sea? Ah-mazing.

Phrases like…

Commemorate this day, the day you came out of the land of Egypt, OUT OF THE LAND OF SLAVERY, because the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand.      Exodus 13:3 NIV

and

In days to come, when your son asks you, “What does this mean?” say to him, “With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”   Exodus 13:14 NIV

My journal records my thoughts from that year on how important it is for me to make it a point to remember…to remember that I was enslaved to sin..and that it was the LORD who delivered me.

While I am reminded weekly as we take communion and daily…minute by minute…of my great need of Him and gratitude for His gift of salvation, it seemed worthwhile to set aside time to think about His mighty hand and to commemorate all that He has done for me. The traditional celebrations of events in the life of Christ and what they mean are also full of extras…family meals, holiday events at work and in the community…things we have added on to the true meaning of what we are celebrating.

So this week in August has become a time of meditation and pondering on celebrating all that our Mighty God has done for us.

Since it was August 13th when I journaled those thoughts back in 2005, I mark off the week that falls around that date every year and contemplate and celebrate the freedom that was given to me through salvation in Jesus Christ.

As I looked back and read all the posts for this week from the start of the blog, I was confused by last year. Until I read the one that said I was having a more private observance.

And then a week later I reflected on this week that has been so dear to me for so many years and I admitted to you all that I was bone dry.

Wrung out from too many things that had chipped away at my heart and my soul and I told you I realized I needed some deep healing.

So I sit here tonight on our couch with a big old lump of gratitude in my heart that I tapped that out on these keys with honest and raw truth because I have it recorded.

And I might have forgotten that it was during this week last year that I realized I had grieved and mourned to the full extent of loss and I was starting to move into that shady gray area where what we lost becomes an idol.

So it was a year ago when I set my heart to accept that it was time to move on and I quieted myself in new ways and pressed back deep into saturating my mind and soul with God’s Word in study and meditation.

And He started knitting the fragments back into a new heart.

In the month of January I shared a series on Deep Healing that was born from the work God did in me from last August through the end of the year.

I am so grateful for what He has done in me since a year ago when this special week was my turning point on the road back to healing a broken heart.

I am looking forward to setting aside this week in dedication to declaring the goodness and mercy of our God and celebrating FREEDOM with you this year!

I know we just had VBS last week….and I hope you aren’t burned out.

I also hope if you are in a season where your heart is breaking, you will join me each day with all the pieces held safe in nail-scarred hands.

This is a week of celebrating and remembering our God and HIs faithfulness to us in ALL seasons.

So maybe take some time to visit Exodus 13 and 14 and join me back here tomorrow <3