Happy Birthday to Me

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“Today is my 40th birthday. Happy Birthday to me!”

Imagine that last line as being read by Ben Stein and you’ll catch the amount of excitement that I have for my birthday. I do not despise the day for being older or anything like that. For me, it is just another day.

I appreciate the celebration and fuss that is made over me on this day. All of that fuss helps me to remember that I am not alone. I am a part of a huge family of people who love me and celebrate me for who I am. To all who do so, thank you from the bottom of my heart. (I’m not sure why the bottom part of your heart is the important part. Why isn’t it the top of my heart? Or from the left ventricle of my heart?)

It also reminds me that I am part of a spiritual family, my true family, those who believe in and trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. While today may be my physical birthday I am reminded that not too long ago I experienced my spiritual birth. For that day, I have far more to celebrate, which points me not to myself, but to my glorious God and Creator, the author and perfecter of my faith. I’ll leave you with this passage from the book of John.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. — Jn 3:1-15