My friend had given me a gift bag for my birthday.
I peeked in the top and said, "Uumm, chocolate! My favorite!! I can even smell it!"
But her young daughter wasn't satisfied that I had found the real gift, the best part yet.
She said, "Look in the bottom of the bag! See it?! Look in the bottom!"
And there it was.
The real gift!
A party blower!
Only a child would have the sense to know what is more important than chocolate.
Celebrating life, laughing over simple things, enjoying the moment, and not worrying about looking foolish while doing it.
And although it may have a short shelf life, that while it lasts it creates long lasting memories.
Lately I have been handed some 'life' gift bags.
What I thought was most important on top can't compare to what is yet to be discovered.
And what appeared to be the "bottom" of some aspects of my life is where the greatest gift is just waiting to yet be uncovered.
I need this lesson right now.
I needed a reminder to celebrate the life I have now with those I love now.
To enjoy the simple things in life while I can, no matter how short that time may be.
T
hat sometimes you have to look past what appears to be the best part, to find what "really" matters, even if you have to wait until you hit bottom.
"A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip." ~Author Unknown
"Everyone is the age of their heart". ~Guatemalan Proverb
I had a birthday last week but my children were not able to all get together until yesterday.
When I came home from church they were at my house.
They asked me if I wanted all my candles on the cake or if it would make me sad.
I said it didn't matter.
As long as there was one candle to blow out they could do what they wanted.
(I happen to be really proud of my age because I have worked really hard to get to this point- so a bonfire was o.k. with me too.)
Anyway, they had a light-bulb moment amongst themselves
And whispered as they secretly hid their new idea for the candles.
This is what was lit up across my cake:
Squinting your eyes may help.
Do you see OLD in there or is my eyesight going too?
(Maybe I should be cognizant of the AARP and Scooter Chair mailings I have been receiving?)
"Old age is fifteen years older than I am." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
I had a visit today from a three-year-old friend of mine.
He dropped in for a birthday visit.
He brought me a plateful of chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
Excitedly he put a candle (which he brought in a sandwich Ziploc with matches) into one of the cupcakes.
His mother lit the candle and helped him sing.
He and I blew out the candle together.
He then took the candle out
And proceeded to eat the cupcake.
(Thus the vacancy on the plate.)
But that wasn't all that he brought.
He also had a gift for me.
It was a stack of about eight of his used sippy cups without lids.
He said he brought them 'in case I get thirsty'.
He had brought much more than I needed.
He had given me all that he had.
His generosity and lack of concern for what he would do when he got thirsty moved me.
(Maybe he did not need them as much as I did.)
I had heard something about thirst before....
Was it in Matthew "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteous: for they shall be filled"?
Or was it in John "But whosoever drinketh of the water I shall give him shall never thirst:...."?
Or "....and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."?
Or "....If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." ?
In the end, my little friend took his cups back home with him
But he left a message wrapped in heartstrings that pricked my heart.
He had shared a reminder of where I should go if the need arises.
His gift unbeknowst to him was full of hope and promise.
Or maybe....
It was His purpose all along.
