by Kevin Burton
My birthday is coming up soon, maybe yours is too. I have some worries just now and it’s not shaping up as the best birthday ever.
Maybe you are in the same straits. A message today then, for the both of us. The one sneaked up on me.
Recently my wife needed two birthday cards. She forgot to buy them and now it was almost time for the gathering she was attending. Did I have any birthday cards?
We both often forget to buy cards. So when I actually get to the store and buy them, if there are multiple cards I like, I will buy two or even three, for occasions just like this.
Turns out I had three extra cards, of which Jeannette chose two. I also showed her an old Christian tract I had. It is from Good News Publishers and I have kept it for years, although it has been a while since I have left tracts anywhere.
Since it says “Happy Birthday” on the front and shows a cake with nine candles, I thought she might want to give it to one of her friends, “which ever one needs it the most.”
She read it, then gave it back to me. “I think you need to read this,” she said.
“It’s good at least once a year to celebrate the day of your birth – to be glad that you were born. It’s a time to put aside your worries and cares and thank God for the opportunity to be alive,” the tract reads.
“For a moment don’t think about what the ideal birthday should be or about being another year older. Thank God for the gift of life.”
“God knew you and loved you even before you were born. The psalmist David wrote “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” (Psalm 139: 13-14).
“You are a unique creation with God-given gifts and abilities. You may not be fully satisfied with yourself now, but with God’s help you can become more of what he meant you to be.”
“God has opportunities for you far greater than you could imagine: ‘For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
“This is why Jesus Christ came. He said “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’” (John 10:10).
So get on with living! Don’t worry about being another year older. If you’re trusting in Jesus, you have from now through eternity to enjoy God’s blessings.”
Just what I needed to hear, just when I needed to hear it. Isn’t that just like God?
Now that I think of it, in the Bible I don’t recall reading of any birthday celebrations. The celebrations kept by Israel were all to honor God and commemorate His care for the nation.
Israel kept seven festivals – Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of First Fruit, The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement and The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths).
You can read about them and their special meanings in the Old Testament. But when, for example, is King David’s birthday, or the prophet Elijah’s? To the best of my knowledge, nobody knows.
Since I hate my birthday, and it’s less and less fun to remember how old I am, maybe I need to come up with some modern-day celebration to thank God for the many things He has done for me and my family.
Just as surely as “sneaked up on me” sounded weird in my second paragraph, not celebrating one’s birthday is off-putting to those around you. Am I wrong? You can’t get away from it!
What do I want for my birthday? No idea. It’s not something I think about. My wife and I do so much for each other as a matter of course.
So how about this? Try this for your family if you like the idea. How about we have a little family birthday parenthesis, and whatever special things you give me or do for me, the week before and the week after my birthday – my special fortnight – that’s what I got for my birthday. OK?
But honestly what I really needed was to read that old tract again. I hope it helped you too, whether it is your birthday or not.
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