“How has your birthday been?” One of my friends asks. I smile softly because I know that my 21st birthday has not been like any that others would expect. It wasn’t wild. It wasn’t crazy. It was and it is still currently. In reply to my friend’s question, I say, “It was pleasant. My day went along happily.” Although this isn’t the answer they are expecting, it is perfect.
To any other, this day is just another January 20th. It’s a date that shows the month is almost over. Some have work. Some have school. I have school! Actually, I had a lot of classes. The monotony of life continues. Yet, there is an exception.
This morning when I awoke, I slipped a suit of moon dust on under my skin. No one sees it. However, I feel it. The glow permeates my being. In the quiet moments of my day and there have been many, I feel the tickle of the moon dust and I remember that twenty-one years ago today I was born. My heart swells with gratitude that I am alive - that I can feel the crisp wind cut through my coat.
My birthday has been spent in the presence of God. When I woke in the morning, I chose to wake about an hour and half earlier than I would usually wake so I could be with Jesus. To me, mornings are a holy time. He deserves my beginnings as well as my endings with everything in between. When I walked to class, I gazed in awe at the silhouette of the trees against the early morning sky.
This day, I have appreciated the little things of life. I have gloried in the wind when it races through my hair. The sprinkling of snow on me as I walked across campus with a caramel steamer clasped between my mittens brought a feeling of fantasy to my evening. Never did I question that I was loved. When people have expressly approached me to only wish me a happy birthday, I have felt loved. It seemed to me that God was whispering through their well-wishings His love for me. My heart is full.
I have no patience for birthdays when they scream, “Look at me! I am the Birthday Girl and I deserve your attention.” Honestly, I deserve nothing. My day has been fulfilling because I was able to serve others. Those moments of service are made holy in the quiet places of my heart because I served happily.
