Pastor's Note

Greetings Church Family!

Generally I downplay my birthday for a couple of reasons. First I don’t like to remind myself that I’m getting older. I don’t feel 50! Second, the thing I have had a hard time figuring is why celebrate something that I had nothing to do with in the first place. I mean I didn’t do anything special beyond showing up spontaneously and crying my head off when I entered this world.

But Saturday (April 24, not my actual birthday) I was reminded what makes my birthday and your birthday so special whenever we celebrate them. I was going to the church that day to celebrate the birthdays of Debbie Lewallen and Barbara Sardone (co-conspirators in the plan to celebrate a milestone event – the big “5” “0” for Todd.). I was led in by Lynette as Grapevine friends greeted us, “Surprise!!!! Happy Birthday!!!” Then they proceeded to set me down in a wheelchair to get me to act my age.

Now the reminder concerning the exceptionalness of birthdays came to me when I was asked to offer a prayer. It was short and to the point because I was so emotionally choked up. The prayer was a simple prayer of gratitude to the Lord for the life we all enjoy in Him. It was a prayer of thanksgiving for my Grapevine family who made me feel so special, valued, and loved.

That’s the key concerning birthdays: We celebrate them not for some lofty accomplishment; like inventing a no calorie cake or building a better noisemaker. We do not celebrate them in recognition of talents well revealed, something we have done worthy of accolade. It’s a celebration of our being not our doing. We celebrate them because we simply are here, designed and planned in advance by God. (See Psalm 139.) We celebrate them because we all are specially created for the pleasure of God. We are of immeasurable value because of the Lord’s workmanship!

Thank you Grapevine family for that wonderful reminder. I have forgotten what I did at a lot of my birthdays in the past. I will never forget my 50th birthday celebration.

Blessings!
Todd