It’s a straightforward verse. “Celebrate with those who celebrate, and weep with those who grieve.” Romans 12:15 (TPT)
It seems easier to me to grieve with those who grieve. I understand pain. You do too. It’s easy to show up for a friend who is grieving. To bring them a meal, to sit with them, to hug them and tell them the intensity of this moment won’t last forever. For some reason, this is more natural to me than celebrating with someone. Especially when that celebration is for something that hasn’t happened for me yet.
To be trying on another bridesmaid’s dress for a friend’s wedding when there are no prospective men in your future. To celebrate another person’s pregnancy when you and your husband have been trying to conceive for over a year now. To see another author be offered a book contract that you have busted your tail for. It can all feel completely unfair and disappointing.
I think this is one of the reasons this verse made it to the Bible. Because God knew it would be a struggle at times.
Being overlooked feels painful. It feels unjust. At times, it feels fake to offer congratulations and celebrate with others when you return home to cry into your pillow.
Can I give you some encouragement? If it hasn’t happened for you yet, then it’s simply not quite time. It doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve it, or that you are wrong to feel disappointed. Simply put, it’s another opportunity to trust that God has your best at heart. There is a reason, and you can trust His timing.
Your time to celebrate will come, I promise. In the meantime, I hope you find comfort in these verses. It has helped me through the long processes, grounding me when I felt ready for something to happen that hadn’t.
“So, don’t be impatient for the Lord to act. Keep moving forward steadily in His ways and He will exalt you at the right time. And when he does, you will possess every promise, including your full inheritance.” Psalm 37:34 (TPT)
Or this one, “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly.” Psalm 37:5 (TPT)
Focusing on these promises will help you celebrate for real, even when you are hurting.
I’m in the trenches with you. God has brought me so far, but there are promises He has made that hasn’t happened for me yet. My job is to continue to move forward, do what I know He has given me to do right now, and put my trust in His word, not in what I haven’t seen happen. And when your turn comes, you will be so glad you chose to celebrate others. That choice IS what faith looks like. And that my friend, is powerful.