Happy Birthday!

7:35 A.M. Happy Birthday to me! While driving to work this morning, I was struggling with what to get myself for my birthday. New shoes? No, too expensive. New ouTfit? Also too expensive. A cake? Nah, I don’t want to gain weight. A motorcycle? I’d have to save up a while for that. So, I decided the perfect gift today would be the gift of “unruly-ness.” Yes! Inexpensive (as long as you don’t get caught) and fun! I had planned on running a couple red lights and driving slow in the passing lane, you know, let Uncle Lester shine in all his comfy brown sweater glory. Alas, that fell through too because I realized that I didn’t update my plate tabs, which was supposed to be done by today, and I don’t want to draw any attention to my car. I got pulled over last year on my birthday because my plate was expired (it really wasn’t, it just wasn’t updated in the computer. I love Michigan…). But since there is an abundance of dumb drivers in Michigan, I was not altogether disappointed when I received the greater gift of watching the guy in front of me break all the traffic rules. Yes, it was entertaining to watch him totally blow a stop sign and then make a left-hand turn from the far right lane! You go, brother! Thank you! You made my day!

It also made my day that the radio station I listen to aired a really great song called “Not A Slave” by JR (the singer, not the ex-boyfriend…). Actually, they aired a lot of good songs on my way to work, but that’s the one that caught my attention. It really makes sense and it’s something that God’s really dealing with me on. I’m not a slave anymore! “For you have not received a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear…” (Romans 8:15). I think that also means I don’t have to be a slave to depression, a bad attitude, insecurity, etc. either. Wonderful! I just have to get over this bump. I have to dress myself in the full armor of God every day AND KEEP IT ON! I have to stop taking it off when I begin to feel safe again because that’s exactly when I get attacked, and then I’m stumbling and trembling and trying to get the armor back on. By the time I’m dressed again, my belt is too loose, my breastplate is on backwards, I’ve got two left boots on, and I find I’ve misplaced my shield… Anyway, I’m not a slave, devil! I have freedom in Christ!

I started this day by wondering what I’ve accomplished in my 27 years on the planet. Bad idea. My thoughts too quickly turn to the negative…what I HAVEN’T accomplished, all my failures. It seems like there are more failures than successes. I’ve had a lot of success in my life. I finished college, which is huge for me, because I tend to quit things when they get tough. I went off medication for anxiety after being on it for six years. I’ve lost 30 pounds in less than a year. I have good credit. Hm, I look at this list of “successes” and I can’t help but say “It doesn’t matter.” ‘Cuz it really doesn’t…(see “Meaningless!” below). The most important things in life are the ones that have eluded me. Relationships, security in Christ alone, peace. But that’s all hum-drum talk and I’m tired of it. Every day things will get better. I actually had a few moments of true, deep down peace today. Even though it only lasted for a little while, it’s probably the most peace I’ve had in a long while. Praise God!

“Blessed be your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be your name"

3:25 P.M. The State of Michigan gave me a birthday gift…new license plate tabs…yay… I also gave them a gift…$76.00…yippee… When I got to the Secretary of State office, they were calling number 15. An hour later, they were at 25. I was number 147, but really I wasn’t. The “1” was actually an “I” and I guess they drop the letter, so I was really number 47, but I like the dramatic effect of telling you that I was number 147. Anyway, I left the packed out office, which smelled like a funeral home, by the way, and shopped around a bit. I turned to my left, and behold, an ATM that gives you license plate tabs sat unattended! So, I quickly…..passed it up for the 25 cent Mike-n-Ike machine, put my quarter in and got about 3 chewy, fruity Mike-n-Ike’s….then went back to the license plate ATM and got my tabs in about 3 minutes flat. So as not to get pulled over, I abruptly ripped the sticker off and attached it to my car. After rudely insulting the tab for costing me $76.00 and a wasted hour on my birthday I stood up only to find that the car I attached the sticker to was not my car………. JK! Fortunately, it WAS my car. But the story would have been more interesting if it hadn’t been my car. DRAMA!

I love birthdays! It’s the one day during the year that everyone loves you. Actually, what they really love is the cake that gets served (Jim Gaffigan is right), but whatever, I’ll buy people’s affection with cake. Naaaahhhh. Thankfully, this year my birthday was not made a spectacle by my co-workers and some people didn’t even know about it, so that was good. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice set of pink gerber daisies from my co-workers and 2 dozen roses from a “secret admirer” (I think it was actually one of my friends from Spotlight, but there was no note…) waiting at my desk for me when I got back from the stinky SOS.

So, it’s been a pretty good birthday. God’s gift to me today was the gift of peace. I couldn’t ask for more.