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My husband goes along with my insanity by smiling gamely and moving whatever furniture I require and my kids seem to enjoy the craziness and the truth is I just love to work a theme. From food to decor, to music, to favors and photo opportunities, I just love the organization and inspiration that can be had by conforming to a theme. I guess the appeal for me is how everything fits so well and flows so brilliantly when there is one overarching aspect tying it all together. No conflicting agenda, no being confused about what to do or what not to do. If it fits the theme then we do it, if not then too bad.
Today's theme was "Legos". We played "Minute to Win it" type Lego games, we crafted with Legos, decorated with Legos and even ate molded chocolate Lego minifigs. After yet another successful party I found myself thinking as I cleaned up that life sure would be easier if there was a theme to it. I would know exactly what was important, know what fit and what did not... and then, right there in a yard strewn with Legos that had gone rogue, jackets that were left behind and a dog who was on a serious sugar high... right there I had an epiphany!
My life does have a theme, I just forget that sometimes, actually if we are being honest I forget that most of the time. The theme of my life is "Glorifying God". I spend hours each week trying to puzzle out my life's purpose, trying to make life make sense and then in the still small silence after the whirlwind of a noisy boy party I remember.
I am a child of God and if I am going to own that identity then the theme is laid out right in front of me. Really, its just that exquisitely simple; and in God's true fashion, just that exquisitely difficult (God seems to love a paradox the way I love my themes). So if I see my Christian identity as a theme for my life, then how do I plan this party?
Food: Does my daily menu of leftovers off of my kiddos plates and crammed bites between deadlines glorify God? No? then I need to find a menu that does.
Time: Does saying yes to this person asking for a favor or another bit of money or my time glorify God? Yes? Then by all means I am in, No? then I am going to have to sit this one out because its not the theme of today's party.
Relationships: Does saving my best energetic self for those outside my home and being drained around my own family glorify God? No? Well then I better find out what needs to change and act on it.
The music I listen to, the shows that I watch, the books that I read... do they glorify God?
That does not mean I can only listen to "Christian music" or read books that can be bought at Lifeway, rather it means that I give as much thought to what I consume both emotionally and physically as well as rationally in my daily life as I do during a two hour children's party.
To understand that the theme of my life is to Glorify God is to give myself permission to actually cut out those things in my life that do not add to that theme.
Can you imagine what a party planned with the theme of Glorifying God would look like? I imagine that there would be honesty, even when the stakes are high, and truth spoken but spoken in love. I believe people would be taking care of others but also taking pleasure in treating themselves with love and respect. I suspect that there would be genuine pleasure taken in hearing of the acheivements of others at the party because there would be the underlying feeling of bounty. There would be a feeling that there was enough of everything for everyone, there would be enough love, praise, food, shelter, purpose, for every person in the room to feel full.
Image a party with a theme like that... It sounds a little like being in the full on, full time, presence of God. A party like that sounds, well it sounds just like Heaven!
