The Grand Opening

I love a good celebration.

I’m smiling thinking back to my two book launch events. OK, so in some ways, it was no big deal. It wasn’t as if I’d been properly published or anything. Both events were just at the house with family and friends. But to me, each was a very special occasion. A culmination of all the time and energy and emotion and creativity and vision that go into writing a novel. In some ways, for me, this was the end of a chapter. My work was done. It was now time to move onto something new. But to those present, this was the beginning. They were finally going to get their hands of a copy of my book I had been banging on about for months. They were going to open it up and start reading it.

It’s a bit like that with a grand opening. The opening of a new art space is the start of something new. Full of possibilities. For many, it’s the first time they have seen it. The first time they have been inside. The first time they can experience it for themselves. The first time they can attend a workshop there and create something of their own in that space. But for those involved in the project, this is a culmination of months of time and energy and emotion and creativity and vision. In some ways, this is the end of their involvement. They have built a new space. Now others will take it forward creatively. However each individual approaches an opening however, it’s a cause for great celebration.

Just like in today’s passage from Ezra 6. The building of the temple is complete. This massive construction project has taken years. It’s a culmination of the people’s time and energy and emotion and creativity and vision.

They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.  Ezra 6:14

With diligence, of course (have a read of my post from a few days ago entitled ‘Diligence’).

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.  Ezra 6:16

And then they celebrated the Passover. These people who had been delivered from exile by the one true God celebrated the festival that was introduced years before by Moses to remember the deliverance of God’s chosen people from exile in Egypt. See the parallel? This festival must have taken on a whole new significance for these people. Back then, God had changed the mind of Egypt’s Pharoah (forcibly by sending plagues and death). Now He had changed the mind of the kings of Persia and the king of Assyria. There was much to celebrate.

Returning to Jerusalem had never seemed possible.

Restoring the temple had never seemed possible.

Reinstating the holy festivals had never seemed possible.

But with God, nothing is impossible.

Whatever you are facing in your life right now, nothing is impossible with God. There is always hope. It may be really hard to believe that in this moment. That’s where faith comes in.

I hope you will reach a point of celebration – where you have seen restoration and reconciliation in action.