This is the day the Lord has made

I was reading the biography of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. in the encyclopedia. And it struck me as amazing that a man as unselfish as he could be reduced to one page. I began to wonder, if this man’s whole life story could be described in four paragraphs, then they probably would be able to describe mine in four sentences. It reminded me of the poem, The Dash by Linda Ellis where she says “on your tombstone is your birth date and your end date, but in between is a dash, that represents all your years and that only those who truly knew you, knows what that dash represents”.

Here was a man who could only be accused of doing God’s work. And for some reason, those who show no fear in pursuit of the path that God has set before them seem to reach the end at a fairly young age. MLK was 39 and Jesus was 33.

So I began to ponder about those who chose not to celebrate their birthdays. Whether it is because of their particular religion forbids it, or whether they just do not want to recognize they are getting older, or whether they grew up in a household where one day was just like any other. Personally, I love to thank God that He gave me another day. I love to thank God that He has blessed me with a mother whose birthday is today; I love to thank God for the births of my children, of my nieces and nephews. I love to thank God that you are all here and that we can celebrate the life He has given us. After all, didn’t an Angel of the Lord appear to Zachariah and tell him of the birth of his son John, 14 “He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord“. After all doesn’t John chapter 2 tell us that when our Lord was born, “13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” and Psalm 127 sings, “3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.”

So what happens after we are born with so much celebration and rejoicing. Are we then forgotten about? I believe it is ok to honor our elders, our friends, our family and even ourselves on our day. You see honor is not the same as worship. And as long as we continue to place God first and foremost in our lives, recognition should be given to those who paved the way for us. Each moment, each day, each year we live is a gift from God “THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. (Psalm 118:24)” What a blessing it is to live, celebrate, and show each other the love and appreciation we have for each other.

As for me, I say, “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and celebrate.
Luke 15:23