Jul
19
2012
Birthday
Posted in Salvation 8 Comments
Today is my birthday.
Every year, I always have the same idea.
Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up on my birthday to confetti and a brass band?
Seriously, being with family and friends…quietly celebrating…is just perfect!
I love the birthday greetings, the cards…and of course, the child in me loves the presents!
Every birthday is special.
It marks another year to be with the ones I love.
It marks another year God has given me….to grow in my faith…to grow in Him.
It also marks another year to serve Him and tell more people about Him.
This birthday is unique because He has given me the opportunity to write each day.
The opportunity to reach people with everyday stories that point to Him.
It is such a privilege.
It doesn’t matter what the occasion is…I always prefer the days leading up to it.
Not that the day itself is anticlimactic, but for me, the anticipation is sweeter somehow.
I have always been like that.
But the one time that did not apply…was my “re-birth” day.
The day I came to Christ.
From that day forward, I was given a new life…a new purpose.
It was not the anticipation of…but the time since…that has mattered most.
We celebrate our actual birthday.
We should also celebrate our “born again” day.
That day should have confetti and a brass band…that would be appropriate.
The problem is that many of us do not know the exact day we came to Christ.
For many of us, our salvation is a process.
It is many people pouring themselves into our lives…sharing the Gospel with us.
It is the Holy Spirit opening our hearts and minds.
It is Jesus…Author and Perfecter…giving us the faith to believe.
It is okay not knowing the exact day you came to Christ.
In fact, I appreciate something my Pastor said.
When anyone asks you when you were saved, simply tell them…before the creation of the world.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. (Ephesians 1:3,4)
In our house, birthdays are an event!
The birthday flag gets hung up outside…a birthday sign is hung over the fireplace mantel.
A sign is put on the person’s bedroom door…the “you are special” dinner plate is used.
The birthday person gets to choose the menu and what they want to do that day.
Presents and a balloon are set up in a special place in the family room.
The homemade chocolate chip cake is made.
When the children were little, their birthday was the one day they did not have to share.
It’s funny though, they usually wanted to…after a while.
It was pretty lonely to play all by yourself.
That is the best gift God gives us…after the gift of Himself, or course.
The gift of each other.
It gets pretty lonely…all by yourself.
Pick up your Bible and a concordance and see how many “one another” verses there are.
God knew we needed fellowship with one another.
Fellowship when we worship…when we work…when we mourn…when we celebrate.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all He created. (James 1:17,18)
Birth is truly miraculous.
So many factors have to be just right for conception to occur.
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)
In my mind, this psalm is the “birthday psalm”.
A beautiful, poetic reminder of the purposefulness of God’s plan.
Our birth was by His design.
We are very special.
The psalm says that He knit us.
I love that!
No cookie cutter assembly line!
Slow and deliberate…with attention to detail.
That’s what I celebrate today.
I celebrate God’s knitting.
Funny thing is…if I was the knitter, I would be dropping stitches all the time.
But not God!
We are His design…perfectly knitted…by the Master.
That is a reason to celebrate!
Happy Birthday Gina! Wishing you the best on this special day! Thank God for you and the gift of your writing. “The gift that keeps on giving” couldn’t be more appropriate!
Jeff and Jody…thank you.
Your friendship and encouragement mean so much to me.
The friendship of our daughters warms my heart.
Gina
Happy Birthday my dear younger friend! Have a wonderful day!
Thank you Darlene…how sweet!
Not much younger…
It has been a lovely day.
Gina
Happy Birthday– and imagine how mortified you’d be if a brass band DID wake you up this morning! But then you’d be laughing uproariously! Smiling a huge Cheshire Cat SMILE!
Janna,
You know me well.
You and I would laugh about it…together.
Oh well…maybe next year!
Gina
Happy Happy Birthday!!!
Thank you, Dee!