Happy Birthday to Me!

As far back as I can remember, I’ve never really celebrated my birthday. Yes, people have told me happy birthday and I’ve received cards and gifts before. I’ve even sent flowers to my mother on my birthday to thank her for giving me life and I’ve given other people gifts on my birthday, but I have never really celebrated me. I don’t know why that’s the case. I’ve just never really made a big deal out of it. To be honest, it’s actually quite awkward to me to be the center of attention. While some people eat that up, I don’t quite know what to do with all that. But for whatever reason, over the course of the last year, I’ve just really sensed God saying to me, “You need to start celebrating your birthday.”

Had I “heard” that only once or twice, I just might have tried to brush it off. But since it’s been a continuous reminder over the course of the past year, it’s been a little bit hard to ignore. By the time I finally surrendered to the thought of allowing myself to be celebrated, it was only a few weeks later that the whole world was shut down. While I knew what I heard, I had no idea what I was supposed to do or even how I was going to do anything at that point.

Well, as God would have it, I didn’t have to know what to do and I didn’t have to plan anything because He orchestrated my entire day. And let me tell you, He is the best event planner ever! There was nothing big and fancy. There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable. Everything was sweet, simple, meaningful, purposeful, and hand-selected just for me. It was the best birthday ever!

I believe what God was trying to show me is that He celebrates the day I was born and so should I. I believe He celebrates because here is another spirit, created in His image, released into the earth, with a specific work to do, that He desires to spend the rest of eternity with.

He is excited about my life because He knows the purpose for which He created it. He is excited about my life because He knows all the people He has preordained for my life to touch. He is excited to celebrate my birthday because that means I still have breath in my body that can be used to bring Him glory.

Once we start seeing our lives this way and once we start seeing our birthdays this way, we’ll have reason to celebrate, too! It’s not just about the gifts we receive, the parties we have, or the attention we get. It’s about the life itself, the purpose for which it was created, and the opportunity to continue to walk out His plan. So, watch out world! Because now I have reason to celebrate and I will be excited every time I get to say, “Happy Birthday to me!”

Questions to Ask

·      What things have you given up on that are still important to God?

·      What things should you be celebrating that you’re not and what things shouldn’t you be celebrating that you are?

·      What is it about your life that gives God reason to celebrate?

Scriptures to Study

·      Psalm 139:14

·      Jeremiah 1:5

·      Ephesians 2:10

·      Galatians 1:15

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