Birthdays

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts.  2 Corinthians 9:15
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​February is a big birthday month in our family.  4 of the six grandkids have February birthdays so last week the Missouri grandkids were visiting, and we celebrated our 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year-olds.  I can’t quite explain how it felt to look at those adorable faces lined up at the table with their cakes or the feeling of explosive love and joy that hit me like a wave, but I know that night will sit on my heart for a long time.  The emotion of that evening caught me by surprise as I sat right in the middle of so much blessing and grace. As I crawled in bed that night thanking God for all of it, I think he wanted to say, “Didn’t see that comin did ya!”  I laid there a long while thinking of all the times and places he shows up and does something so marvelous and so unexpected…why would I ever think I could out-plan him?
 
After the party dust settled and the house got quiet again, I just kept thinking about birthdays, wishing I’d done a better job celebrating them for my own children, realizing I should be better about remembering birthdays and even thought about approaching my own birthday with more gratitude.  The thoughts continued and then Saturday while listening to the Hallow app, birthdays suddenly took on a whole new meaning.  The app featured an interview with an absolutely delightful woman named Mother Olga.  The last two posts have referenced her seven-word prayer but the opportunity to “meet” her through a video interview was such a gift.  Among many completely cool things that interview touched on, Mother Olga shared that we all have four birthdays. God’s timing once again hit me like a ton of bricks!    The first is our birth in our mother’s womb at the moment of conception. The second birthday is the day we are born into the world.  The third birthday is our Baptism, when we are born into the family of Christ, and our fourth birthday is the day we are born into eternal life. That fourth birthday really gave me something to think about.  Preparation for that day is the culmination of hundreds of little actions and changes and re-routes but none of them are done solo…he’s right there with us!
 
After listening to Mother Olga, I came across some words from the wonderful Fr. Mike Schmitz and he said in a very animated voice, “The purpose of Lent is to prepare us for death…death to our selfish desires and our self-centered plans and it is in that death that we prepare for eternal life.”  It’s crazy how God used the enormous love I have for my family and led me through a birthday celebration to an important lesson.  No celebration on earth can come even close to a moment in heaven and that birthday celebration we had last week for those little people I adore won’t come close to the celebration that awaits us on our fourth birthday.  He absolutely led me full circle with love and joy and hope.  We don’t know when we’ll celebrate our fourth birthday but today is the perfect day to begin getting ready!
A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time thinking and praying about Mother Olgas birthday idea and ask the Father how he can guide your Lent to prepare for the fourth birthday.
 
Blessings on your day!