My Birthday Prayer

As the clock struck midnight last night I was awake and immediately thought, Happy Birthday to ME! I began to think of my 48 years on earth and how circumstances change. Situations change, life changes, people change but the one thing that doesn’t change is God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8(NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever

In life, I am not so sure that changing situations is a bad thing. If nothing changed, ever, how would we grow? We would become stagnant. No matter what happens in our life, no matter what the circumstance, God makes it good!

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

When my circumstances changed last year so did my situation, my life, my childrens lives, people in my life and yes, even I changed. I really could not see anything good…even in the distance I couldn’t see. I wanted so much for my life to be the same, to be what it was. Many times I wished I didn’t have to go on because it was painful. I didn’t want to grow because I felt like I was leaving a very important part of me behind as I grew. But one day when I woke up I realized that not only had my circumstances changed but so had I, I had grown. I was kinder, my heart was bigger, I was more compassionate, and I was stronger. How did this happen? When the best part of my life was gone, how did I grow?   I grew “up” in God when I wasn’t looking.  It should be no surprise though because I got exactly what I asked for.  I prayed for words.  God granted that.  I prayed for health.  God granted that.  I prayed for a job.  God granted that.  I prayed for insurance.  God is granting that as I even write this note.  These are the big things He has granted.  Big answers to my prayers.  The little prayers also get answered!  He keeps me safe, He keeps my children safe.  He supplies us with plenty food to eat.  He always pays my bills at the end of the month.  When I am down He supplies me with friends to lift my spirits.  He even supplies me with laughter.  And not just a chuckle, He gives that gut wrenching laughter that makes your ribs hurt!

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

I pray that He completes my family because Danny is missed so much and don’t you know He is supplying that with our church family.  Every Sunday He gives me someone new to add to my family tree!  And today on a typical Monday, He gives me a lovely new branch to add to my tree.  A branch that is similar to my branch.  Similar in that we both have lost the trunk of our tree.   We are both broken, struggling for our tree to stand.  But God is so good!  He just takes all these broken branches and puts them together.  And as we nurture each other our branches begin to grow together.  As we lean into each other, before you know it we are almost growing straight up!  I notice we are still leaning on each other but our branches are forming a trunk and it reaches heavenward.  The roots of our trees were established long ago.  They go deep and were never an issue.  Sometimes one of the branches has bigger roots than another branch.  You know the big gnarly roots that not only run deep but also on top of the ground.  Those are the roots that catch us by surprise when we are walking along and we trip on them!

Psalm 25:4

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

That’s how we are!  God has placed people in my life with roots so deep and so big that I trip when I get close to them!  Without meaning to I fall right into them!  And with their deep roots they don’t waiver, they support me even though maybe their branch is broken like mine!  I am growing my roots deep and I’m growing those big gnarly ones that will trip someone on top of the ground.  I want to be able to support someone when they fall into me!  I want to be a trunk for that someone whose branch is broken like someone was for me!

 God has blessed me with so much I want to give it back.  I feel like on my birthday today I have been receiving for 48 years and I need to give back.  Life is give and take.  I have taken and people have been so generous.  Generous with their time, and mostly with their love!  When I hear people say the love of Christ is dead, I just have to tell them, they don’t know my Savior!  Because He surely is working in my life, my church, my community!  And He is doing it BIG BIG BIG!  So I thank you all for your birthday wishes!  It truly has been an awesome day.  From waking up to a birthday text, to a lunch of fruit with some fruity friends, supper with a stranger who is now considered a branch on my family tree, numerous hugs, phone calls, emails, text messages; I just can’t even name them all!  I am truly blessed!  But I can’t take all these birthday wishes without giving one back in return!

James 1:2

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Enjoy your journey.  It’s the only one you are going to have.  Smile more, laugh often, love fiercely!  If you are a Christian you know you are going to Heaven and of course that’s a great ending!  But what God wants us to know is that our time in between can be just as good!  Show love to the least of these, you will be blessed.  Feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, love the weary!

Matthew 25:34-40 (NIV)

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Just give as Christ has given unto you!  After all we all know:

John 3:16 (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I have learned a new walk.  It’s kind of scary at first, just like a toddler learning to walk for the first time.  But after you take off its exhilarating!  And after you step out, there is no turning back.  You will be hooked!  That’s my prayer for you all today, on this my birthday!

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.