I ate dinner with a family from my church a couple of weeks ago. They invited me for a meal in their home to thank me for something that I should have been thanking them for. You can read about that something here.
It was a wonderful evening of food and fellowship. The meal was a fabulous array of dishes from their culture (Pakistan) prepared with me in mind (not too spicy). There's something so very personal about not just a meal together but a meal in someone’s home. I loved it.
And I was reminded of something by the children. They showed me a little "game" they play out their backdoor. There's an azalea bush with pink flowers on it and they like to pick off the flowers (I restrained from scolding) and toss them up in the air while shouting, "Congratulations!" And so they demonstrated it over and over and I joined in with the shouting (if not the picking). It was our shared refrain for the rest of the evening. "Time for dessert!" "Congratulations!" "See the award I got in school?" "Congratulations!" "Can't wait to see you on Sunday!" "Congratulations!"
How do we congratulate those who are a part of our young peoples' faith journey? "You were a dedicated Table Parent all year at LOGOS!" "Congratulations!" "Our children and youth felt welcomed and a part of worship because of your encouragement!" "Congratulations!" "We attended a LOGOS Encounter training for greater knowledge and understanding!" "Congratulations!" "Relationships between generations are stronger now since you gave of your time!" "Congratulations!"
Congratulations, indeed!
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