A Different Kind of Birthday

I’m celebrating some things today. You got it. It’s my birthday. It’s been odd for me to think of myself as 48 years old. Part of me feels older than that. Part of me wonders when this happened! Either way, this year feels like a different kind of milestone than other years for some odd reason. Here are some possibilities:

1. Staying fit, healthy and thin is no longer a battle. Now it’s WAR!
2. I find myself praying for my kids’ safety and traveling mercies even more than I did when I first handed them my car keys. (What is this about? Do we get more paranoid as we approach 50 or is the natural pile-on of life experience just giving us a sense of reality-check we didn't yet have at 21?)
3. Apparently, I look less my age than ever. When people find out I’m 48, they just say, “Oh!” then kind of smile in an encouraging sort of way as if they’re thinking “Hm. I thought she might be a little older than that.” I figure I’ve got two more years until I get the "WOW!" response with a hug and "You look great for your age!”
4. I’ve graduated to the bifocals club. I don’t mean those cute readers you buy in the drug store like the ones I heard a little boy begging his mom for in Target the other day. I mean the very expensive kind you have to order special. And I don’t yet qualify for any AARP discount. Thankfully, I’ve managed to adjust to multi-focal contacts. God is good. I can still hide.
5. I no longer have any urge to make my own cake. Whatever I can buy at Nadia’s cakes (gluten free) will suffice.

Now, just to prove I’m not all sarcasm, I do want to share some spiritual fun too!

I love Jewish history and enjoy learning new things about that part of my Christian heritage. A friend showed me how to look up my Jewish birthday! It’s the 29^th of Tevet (5726). Ya. Cool. I have no idea what it really means.

The Torah portion commonly attributed to my birthday (1/21/66, morning in case you're wondering) is Exodus 6:2-9:35 — starting when God spoke to Moses about taking the Israelites out from under the hand of the Egyptians as His special people and deliver them to the Promised Land then continuing through the first five plagues. The realities of God’s grand plan of redemption were unfolding and we see His absolute authority to perform great acts (starting with judgment on Pharaoh). 

Just before this (in chapter 4), we see that Moses’ faith was shaky and he worried about his weaknesses as an appointed leader saying, “I am slow of speech and tongue.” But this gives me great comfort and hope on many levels. God responds saying, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”  (Exodus 4:10-11)

THE TRUTH: God is sovereign over all things including disability, brokenness, weakness...yes, my "old age" as it comes along too. His design is always good. He takes good care of His children. He is perfect and powerful in my weakness. In my weaknesses, He is shown to be strong. He redeems all those who trust in Him. Because I TRUST IN HIM, there is a Promised Land ahead for me! And even though my faith is shaky sometimes, God is patient and kind. He surrounds me with support, equips me for every good work, and keeps giving me good gifts. He reveals more of His power, presence and goodness as I walk in celebration that there is FULLNESS OF LIFE IN HIS PRESENCE!

For sure, my greatest gift and reward today is the privilege of walking with Jesus. Now THAT really is something worth celebrating!

If it would be fun and spiritually enriching for you to use the Jewish Birthday Calculator, visit this site: http://m.chabad.org/calendar/birthday_cdo/aid/6228/jewish/Jewish-Birthday.htm