My friend Linda J. suggested I get the book Live in Grace - Walk in Love. I am loving it and grateful for the suggestion. It is a great way to begin my day with a hopeful focus. I loved today's message and want to share it with you just as I read it about an hour ago.
LOVE PEOPLE LIKE THE RULES WE'VE MADE UP DON'T APPLY.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10
Birthdays are the only time we celebrate people just because they exist. They don't have to do anything special that day - no book launch or graduation or job promotion or space shot. We celebrate them because they were born.
I love birthdays so much that I've started doing away with the birthday system where we only get to celebrate people one time a year. Think about it: Jesus performed thirty-seven miracles, depending on how you count them. Our friends are the thirty-eighth miracle. Now, that's something to celebrate. Those closest to us are a gift every day - fall, winter, summer, and spring. They make bad days more bearable with their comfort and attention. They make sweet moments all-out celebrations because their presence amplifies our joy. Whose idea was it to only set aside one day a year to bake them cakes and shower them with gifts?
That's why I make a point to send friends balloons on random Tuesdays or flowers at the end of a mundane workday or a package full of surprises, just because. Sometimes I throw a dinner party with Secret Santa gifts in July. I'll get on the grill and Sweet Maria will bake a cake and we'll shower a friend with affection because they were born and they bring us such joy. It's not to cheer them up or affirm their achievements; it's just to tell them they're a gift to the world.
Break the rules that say you have to contain your love to specific days. Pick a person and celebrate them today. We don't need to wait for permission to throw a party.
WHO CAN YOU CELEBRATE TODAY? WHAT WILL YOU DO?