July 1st was my birthday. I’m not usually very big on birthdays... especially my own. I think I try to play it down as it seems so anti-climactic most of the time. My husband on the other hand is always quite excited when my birthday comes around.
He begins days ahead asking what it is that I would like to do and what I want to eat and where I would like to go. On my birthday he is also awake before I am so that he can say happy birthday first thing when my eyes open. He says happy birthday multiple times throughout the day... He makes my birthday special.
There was something more to this birthday that took me by surprise. I was kind of excited myself for the first time since I could remember. As I thought about why that would be I realized that my heart was full of expectation for the coming year. I do believe Papa God was sharing His excitement with me of what He feels on my birthday and what He’s got in mind for year 36 of my life.
As I pondered and asked what He’s excited about this is what I got: As I get older I want to be less worried about what others think of me and bolder to be Jesus in the lives of others. I want to risk and see through eyes of faith my part in the expanding Kingdom of God. I don’t want to live “safely” because that’s the “normal” thing to do. I don’t want to worry about tomorrow... I want God’s emergencies to be my emergencies. I don’t want to be afraid of suffering and pain. I don’t want my comfort zone to dictate where I live, what I do and how much I grow. I want to face each God-opportunity with courage and grace immersed in thankfulness.
These are incredibly high goals and standards for me... impossible really. That’s how I know they are God’s will....I find hope in the verse Francis Chan used in a teaching I saw a couple of days ago: James 5:17 “Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours”... meaning there are no super-heros of the Faith that have the upper hand on being like Jesus, only those willing to live like He did...
So, I join with my husband and Papa God in their excitement over my birthday to say with a humble heart, “Bring it on 36”! Jesus is worth it!
