The Birthday Blessing

     As I age, birthdays become less of a priority. At least for me, extravagant gifts and special meals take a backseat to quality time with my family. My birthday falls during a hectic time of the year. End of the school activities, new summer endeavors, and holidays vie for time and space. So, it should not have been a surprise when I woke up and forgot it was my birthday.

     “Happy Birthday to you!” sang Sweet Pea as I opened her bedroom door. For a moment, I paused, puzzled.
     “Happy birthday to you!” she sang with gusto. Realization flooded my brain.
     “Happy Birthday, dear Mommy! Happy Birthday to you!”
     I hugged my little girl. ” Thank you, Sweet Pea,” I kissed her soft cheek, “I love you.”

     “Happy Birthday” Sweet Pea bounced. She was so excited to celebrate her love for me on this special day. It touched and melted my heart.

      “Was I the first to wish you a Happy Birthday?” she asked, eager to stake her claim. I smiled and ruffled her hair.
     “yes,” I admitted, “you were.” Sweet Pea beamed and bounced some more.

     The rest of the day passed by without excitement. A school day, things progressed in their typical routine. It was not only my birthday, but it was also a big day for my husband. He had invested countless days and hours for an event which culminated into one big momentous occasion. In addition, multiple activities still needed to be coordinated for a very busy weekend. Needless to say, little time or energy had been devoted towards orchestrating birthday plans for me. But that was fine by me.

          The afternoon flew by. With the assistance of a friend, Sweet Pea and I completed birthday shopping not for me, but for friends who were having birthday parties this weekend. My stomach was growling when we returned. But instead of thinking about what special birthday meal I wanted, we turned our attention towards wrapping gifts.

     “Are we having pizza tonight?” asked Sweet Pea.  Not if I can help it, I thought. Though no time had been devoted towards birthday planning for me, I knew pizza was not what I wanted to consume on my special day.

     “We’ll see,” was all I said. But despite lack of birthday plans for me, I felt so blessed. Time in the pool talking to God in the morning had set the tone for the day. My heart was light and my spirit blessed. Adding to this, family and friends delivered flowers, cards, baked goods, and gifts. Even my little girl had carefully made a special handmade gift which I now wore. I felt so loved by both family, friends, and God.

     When my exhausted husband walked through the door, a plan unfolded in my brain.
     “Sweetheart,” I began, “Can I order sushi for dinner and eat it poolside?”

     “Yippee!” cheered Sweet Pea. After making the necessary phone calls, Sweet Pea and I dipped in the pool while my husband ran for the food. It was a beautiful evening. The water was warm and the air pleasant. Though my birthday had been thrown together last minute, I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and time with my family at the pool. We even had time for a quick board game before heading for bed.

     As we gathered for evening devotions, Sweet Pea proudly presented me with a special birthday card she had created. On shimmering card stock with beautiful detail, it was a special card.

     “Thank you!” I hugged my little girl, grateful for her joyous love. My heart felt so full. To love and be loved is a precious gift.

     Then, as we settled into devotions, a Bible verse caught my daughter’s attention. Numbers 6:24-26. Reading the verse aloud, Sweet Pea broke into song.

     “The Lord bless you and keep you,” she sang, leaning against me, “May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you…” The words taken directly from Numbers, The Blessing by Kerrie Jobe and Cody Carnes, carried special significance for our family. Immediately, I joined in with her.

     “Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace,” she and I sang. Our voices blended together. Again and again we sang these words of blessing. Then, to my surprise, another voice joined us. My husband.

     With a smile on his face, my husband often preferred to listen and observe rather than join our impromptu songs. But on my birthday, my husband’s voice melded with ours.

     “May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations,” the three of us sang, “and your families and your children, and their children, and their children…” The words of this benediction poured from our hearts out of our mouths to the Lord in joyful reverence. There, the three of us snuggled together, united in song, spirit, prayer, and blessing.
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     It was the perfect gift. A gift superseding all other gifts. For nothing compares to the love and favor of God. Nothing compares to His blessing. What better birthday gift could one receive than a blessing over generations and generations of your family? My heart overflowed with gratitude and thanksgiving. I wanted nothing more than God’s blessing over me, my family, and the generations to come. It was the perfect birthday gift…the gift of a birthday blessing.