I’ve finally reached a quarter of a century. Yep, Friday was my 25th birthday. And throughout the day, all I could keep saying was “I feel so loved!”
I started reflecting on last year’s birthday. What I considered to be one of the best birthdays ever. I was in India, living at a home with ten little Indian boys, and throughout the day my team and the community we were in blessed me in so many ways.
That morning, the boys walked in to greet me and each handed me a flower. What girl doesn’t love getting flowers, especially from these cuties?
During the day I got to do some painting and sanding, which probably wasn’t my favorite of things to do, but in the midst of the work my team stopped me to gift me with some typical Indian cakes, a flower lei, and some way cool sunglasses.
That night, the ladies down the road decided to dress me in a sari, picking out one that they typically used for very special occasions like weddings. I sure felt like a princess as they wrapped me up in it, redid my hair, and made me pose in ridiculous ways for about a hundred pictures!
And if all that wasn’t special enough, when I got back to where we were living, my team had decorated with balloons, was jamming Justin Bieber, and had bought me a cake and sparkling apple juice! The boys had made me paper planes, and my team gifted me with plastic animal toys. What a great day!
I just didn’t think it could get any better than that. Until this year. I wasn’t in a crazy random country, with fun new cultural things to experience, or little children that had stolen my heart. But at Center for Global Action, I was surrounded by sisters that in two weeks I already love so deeply that it doesn’t even make sense, by coworkers that wanted to brighten my day, and by a community that delighted in singing me happy birthday, even though half of them didn’t even know who I was!
I woke up to a birthday breakfast, was surprised when I got to work by a Justin Bieber themed birthday desk, later was pulled in front of a group of searchlight folks to have happy birthday sung to me, then there was funfetti cake, and we got the afternoon off, so I took advantage and went on my first ever kayak adventure!
Another great birthday! But what marked this one as different from the rest was the way that my community, my family of believers, chose to truly gift me on that day. Surprises are fun, and special gifts are nice, but nothing brought me more joy than the little notes I got every hour of the day from random people in CGA and around the office. Most of them weren’t even signed, because who it was from wasn’t as important as what it said. They all contained messages of encouragement, words of affirmation, scriptures, and confirmations of my identity in Christ. They covered me in my Father’s love, and sent my heart into joy overload.
My birthday wrapped up at a bonfire that some of the guys were having at their house. And before it ended, one of them called to attention (once more) that it was my birthday, and that he thought people should share life-giving words with me. So around the fire, people shared with me the parts of Christ they saw alive in me.
I share all this not to brag on myself, but to give you a picture of the community I am being blessed with in this season of life. Everything is centered on our Father, on the Kingdom, and on encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ forward in love. Sometimes I just have those moments where I stop and ask, “Is this really my life?” And it is. I’m living out community the way I believe Jesus intended it to be. Sometimes it is difficult and messy and frustrating, but it is also so exciting, encouraging, beautiful, and filled with LIFE.
*I wanted to say a special thank you to EVERYONE who made my birthday special! Friends and family back home who sent me cards or left me voicemails – you brightened my day! I am such a blessed woman to have each of you in my life.
