Preparations were being made for Lisa, Barbara’s oldest daughter’s birthday celebration. She likes Mexican food, so Mexican food was prepared and the house was decorated in Mexican style. Now, we needed to make this first class, and no Mexican birthday party is complete without a Marimba Band. Oh! Short notice, and where do you get a Marimba Band, and the cost… So, we innovate. There is a fun song I wrote one time for a very similar occasion, so I dug around and found the song. Well, the girls came up with a sombrero, and they found a shawl that lent itself to a Mexican application. With my black jeans, black shirt, a brightly colored dress jacket, the shawl, the sombrero, and with guitar in hand I came from the back rooms of the house to a surprised and delighted “Senorita Lisa”, with a passionate rendition of “The Ballad of the Bull (El Toro)”. The song was adapted so the last lines were “Senorita Lisa, Sweet Lisa, 55, Happy birthday, Happy birthday, sweet Lisa 55”, with a good heavy down note on the 55. We all laughed and enjoyed the show, helping to make a happy birthday for “Sweet Lisa”. Sometimes, to get things accomplished and to enjoy the truly good things of life, we must be willing to become a fool in other’s eyes. My singing and guitar playing ability is far from “accomplished”, but when we take what we have and take the liberty in giving it to others for their good and benefit, then it’s good. When a child draws a crude picture depicting their perception of an animal, or their love for Mommy or Daddy, the picture is far from a piece of art, but it is beautiful as it comes from the heart.
That’s the way our Heavenly Father looks at us. We might not have the knowledge and ability like someone else, but when we give what we have to God and to his work with our whole heart to please and benefit him, then it’s good. If we are not willing to become a fool to please Jesus alone, we have not yet been liberated to truly follow him. We need to be open to allow him to work in our life to set us free in areas in our heart and life that even we don’t know about. When the followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were liberated from fear to share the gospel with even those who had killed Jesus. They were willing to be fools for Jesus, for the benefit of all. Jesus had taught them that if they were not willing to take up their cross daily (death to self), they could not be his disciple. The truly good and eternal things of life lie in the liberty of living life in the Spirit of God, abiding in his presence each day. Liberation brings happy celebration for all to enjoy.