I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!

Today is my day of birth, delightfully known as my birthday!

Birthdays are always such a gift to me!  It’s not a selfish desire.  It’s not about having the focus on me.  It’s not about presents or gifts, cake or ice cream.

My birthday is always such an overwhelming time to focus on all of the blessings that I have in life.  I’ve only been awake a few short hours and I’ve already been consumed by tears of such joy for the gifts that I have in my life.   I so passionately want to share them and give thanks.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you God for the many gifts in my life!

I am so blessed with life, vibrant and abundant life.  What a treasured gift that I was able to open my eyes this morning, that I could breathe in deep and that I could get out of bed when my alarm went off.  I do not have the words to marvel at the fact that before the heavens were formed, I was part of God’s plan.

I look at Psalm 139 this morning as my response to God’s birthday gift of life to me.  God pours love over me, into me and through me so fast my heart, like a sponge for God, can not soak it all up.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”  Psalm 139:13-16

What a gift!  Being woven together by the Maker’s perfect hand.  I am a priceless masterpiece.  I am part of the grand design.  The days of my life are worked into the blueprint in God’s master plan.  Oh in the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah, I am so unworthy.  Like David says,

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain”  Psalm 139:5-6

Too wonderful indeed!

“How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.  When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:17-18

My God, My God, what a gift, what a treasure You are to me!  How precious is Your love for me!  How great are Your gifts!  I can only praise You for them.

God’s love for me, is enough to make me cry tears of joy.  That is a heavenly gift, beyond all compare.

As if that is not enough, I am blessed with earthly gifts.  So many, that I can’t recount them all here but desire to share a precious few.

There is the gift of my husband, Eric.  My amazing spouse!  This morning I hit the snooze and crawled back into bed for a few more minutes (hey, it’s my birthday right?), Eric’s voice was the first that I heard wishing me a happy birthday.  His love is such a treasured gift to me.  His commitment is strong.  His faith is solid.  His heart is so tender and gentle.  He chooses to love me regardless of my mistakes, my brokenness and all of the ways I fall short.  I know that I am a priority in his life.  What a blessing!

There is the gift of my children.  My son and my daughter.  Who poured lavish hugs, cards, gifts and treasured words over me this morning.  When I reflect and give thanks, they do this most mornings.  This morning I feel like that Proverbs 31 woman whose “children arise and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28).  God has blessed me with the charge of caring for these two amazing individual lives.  Marvelous!  God must really believe in me to do that, even when I do not have belief in myself.

There is the gift of my extended family; family I was born into and family I was married into.  Wow!  The words, the blessed words that they have been showering me with today.  Parents, brothers, cousins, grandparents, aunts and more.  God has surely blown my mind to think that He has woven these lives all together.  I am humbled to be a part of it all.

There is the gift of my friends.  What an amazing riches I have in my friends!  I am just engulfed in their love for me.  This is love that makes a choice, a decision where effort is involved, to reach out to me or to allow me to come in to be a part of their lives.  I am remembered, not just today but so many days in life.  There have been many times over the past years where they have lent me their faith, they have pulled me up by their hands, they have bolstered me with their strength and they have loved me through good & through bad.

As I read through many of these messages and gifts that I am receiving, I am so humbled, in awe and grateful.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Oh my dear readers, you are such a gift to me too!  You are precious jewels in the treasure of my life.  For many of you, you are friends who have walked with me and broken bread with me.  For many others we have not had the privilege of meeting in person.  You must know what a gift you are to me.  You come willingly.  You spend the most precious thing you have, time, following my wandering mind through thoughts and words.  It may sound silly, but I am encouraged so greatly by every comment, every like and every stat that someone has read a post.

I so deeply long to be able to bring you into my heart today.  I want to cover you with this precious outpouring of love.  I want you feel the warmth, the peace and the joy that I feel.  I want to share this with you.  If I could find a way to slice my joy and serve it like pieces of a birthday cake, I would gleefully do so!  I’d find just the right piece.  Do you like frosting?  I’d give you the corner piece with the frosting flower on it.  Do you like the marbled chocolate part?  I’d cut the one right out of the center in a crazy shape for you, following the curve of the chocolate.  Do you like the part with the words on it?  I’d cut a gigantic piece so you could have the whole word “Happy” because that is what you make me.

Thank you all for an amazing birthday!

Dearest and Beloved Lord,

THANK YOU!  My words are so shallow compared to the deepness of the love, gratitude and appreciation that I have for You.  Only You could have designed such an amazing day to bless me with on my birthday. 

Lord may this day not be about me, but make it instead about Love.  Love that You have for each of us.  Love that we have for You.  Love that we can share with each other.  For those are the greatest of gifts.  It’s like the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.” 

Lord please create in the lives that read these words an abundance of Your blessing and favor.  Look upon them with Your kindness.  Make Your goodness to pass before them.  Build them up, rebuild what is broken, encourage them, comfort them, heal them, whatever their needs may be, meet them with the Holiness and Glory that only You can. 

In Jesus’ name, amen.