HOLIDAY UPS & DOWNS

I am a holiday aficionado. I enjoy learning about holidays and celebrating in the spirit of the occasion, often decorating, and when the kids were younger, orchestrating related field trips or lessons, art projects, themed meals, and listening to music in the genre. My family laughs when we think of what it could've been like had we raised our daughters in India, where there are more holidays than in the US. Recently, my family debated the merits of each holiday and we each leaned toward a favorite…and one of mine is Independence Day.

Maybe it’s my strong will and undeniable desire for freedom. More likely it’s the fact that I grew up in the Washington DC suburbs and most often celebrated July 4th on the National Mall – browsing the Smithsonian Folklife Festival exhibits and picnicking during the day then choosing our spot to settle for fireworks and music on either the west lawn of the Capitol building to hear A Capitol Fourth live or the base of the Washington Monument, where I heard The Beach Boys in concert in 1985.

‍As a mom, I strived to pass on my love of holidays to my daughters, and we often enjoyed DC fireworks and shenanigans. I even announced my pregnancy with my youngest daughter to my family after the parade near Georgetown. My mother-in-law also was a big fan of Independence Day, as she was a naturalized citizen and took pride in her adopted country and the freedoms it provided her and the family. She often visited and helped me prepare for a fabulous Fourth – our connection to extended family is a highlight for this holiday!

‍But holidays can be full of stressful moments and complexity as well. There’s anxiety over cost and selection of Christmas presents, rehearsing for the convos over Thanksgiving dinner, and in recent years we are navigating more involved discussions, e.g. why many states are replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Kids can pick up on the joy and stress of holidays, the highs and lows. But no matter where you stand regarding the next holiday on the calendar, it’s so worthwhile to engage your children in a discussion and find the way your family will observe the day.

‍One definition of the word “holiday” is holy day. That fact causes me pause – how am I to honor God this Independence Day? In scripture, we hear much about freedom from Jesus:
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31-32 ESV‍

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,

    that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free,

    and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 NLT

The apostle Paul speaks into what Jesus said in his letter to the Galatians:

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law…For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:1, 13-14 NLT

So whether or not I decorate with red, white, and blue this Fourth of July, watch fireworks, eat BBQ, or read a copy of the Declaration of Independence, I also feel a deep desire to abide in God’s word, reading from scholars, and learning what it is to have Freedom in Christ:

“So, we come together to the Table. The Lord’s Supper is a table both of liberty and union. Liberty in that we have been set free from our sin and death and hell, and free from the burden of earning God’s acceptance. And we have been set free for life in the Spirit and the joy of holiness and love. And we have been set free together. There is unity in our liberty in Christ.”[1]

‍By seeking God first, I make Independence Day holy, finding ways to be unified in community, celebrating the freedom of life in God’s Spirit, while providing an example for my daughters to make this holiday about His grace and love in the context of our country’s birthday.

‍Epic Family, I pray God’s freedom and peace for you this Independence Day, and in all the holidays your family celebrates over the course of the year! May you continue t0 mature in your Christian faith, enjoying the journey God has before you, celebrating with family and friends, and remembering that it is abiding in Jesus’ truth that sets us free.

Grace and peace,

Annikki

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What Epic Kids & PreK are learning in July:

[1] Mathis, David. “What is ‘Freedom in Christ’?” Desiring God, 20 Mar 2022, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-is-freedom-in-christ. Accessed 27 Jun 2024.