Had a little talk with Him

Saga of a birthday close to the Christmas and New Year’s.

Here is a partial list of my old complaints:

Birthday gifts wrapped in Christmas paper

No Birthday gift at all (got more for Christmas)

Everyone broke, on diets and partied out.

Gifts sent in the mail with Christmas gifts (no separate package)

People just plain forget it through all the “other” excitement

No Birthday card, simply cash or a generic card with a promise of some future purchase

Beef roast instead of choice of pizza or tacos (you know, fun food)

Those of you born other times of the year may not “get” this right away.  Those born in late December or early January will understand.  It is hard to be immune to it. 

It has been a good number of years since I kept my mental scorecard of who forgot or broke the rules.  I’m happy that I got over it.  When I was growing up, in the days preceding my big day, I would never make mention of my birthday to my family just to see how many would forget.  You know forget I was even born!  I would set myself up for disappointment and then feel good that I was feeling bad.  Can you say self pity?  Can you say stupid?  Can you also say sinful?

Self pity is stupid yes, but self pity is also idolatry.  Saying it is all about me.  And if you don’t honor “me” my day is not worth living.  I think, if I’m right the first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3

Me:  “But I’m not my own god when I think my birthday should be about me?”

“Then who, may I ask, are you serving?”

Me:  “Well, shouldn’t I be treated special like my brothers and sisters on their birthdays?”

“And you think that is an excuse to break the first commandment and put yourself above God?” 

Me:  “Well, when you put it like that you make me sound bad.”

“There is another perspective to see the situation more clearly”

Me:  “Okay, what is it? I’m ready for a change.”

“God made you, He picked January 6th as your birthday. If your mother and father forsake you He never will, He knows it’s your birthday and He delights in you.  Maybe, just maybe, when you were keeping your scorecard of the infractions of other people you could have been having a deep, meaningful conversation with Him.  You see you were so special He did not want to share you with anyone on the birthday He gave you.

Me:  “That blows my mind.  Did I waste a lot of time or what?”

“No more wasted time with self-pity then?”

Me: “No time for it, I get the special honor to hang out with Him.”

Don’t forget your brain change/memory verses:

Memory Verse Week of January 1 – January 7, 2017 - Can you recite it?  Jeremiah 29:11

New Memory Verse Week of January 8 – January 15, 2017  (A personal favorite of mine)