A Word-Filled Birthday

I was not looking forward to my birthday last Wednesday.  Let's admit it--who looks forward to birthdays after '40'???  But I was REALLY not looking forward to this one.  We had just moved and I completely expected it to feel kind of lonely.  

But God had something different in mind.

First of all, our only family in Paducah is Eric's cousin, Erin, and her husband, Justin.  His birthday just happens to be two days before mine, so we had a little birthday celebration on Monday evening.  It was a lively event with lots of chatter from our crew about their teachers and classes.  Justin could relate; after all, he was a former 'Heath'en.  

Laughing and eating way too much cookie cake, the week was already off to a rip-roaring start.

Then, two 'new' friends text and asked me to go to lunch on Wednesday for my birthday.  

Wow???!!!  Really???!!!  How did you know it was my birthday???

Well, Facebook, of course.

And as I awaited my birthday, loneliness was forgotten and pushed out of the way as the anticipation of lunch plans took its place. 

I got up Wednesday morning, with more than a little to look forward to.  To start, I was going to my first day of CBS (Community Bible Study).  What better way to celebrate the morning of my birthday immersed in God's Word, studying the book of Acts of all things?  

CBS did not disappoint.  As I sat listening to the introduction on the book of Acts, I felt like a present had been handed down by the Divine one Himself...studying about the 'birth' of His church, while on mission to 'birth' a new ministry...

It was a 'birth'day indeed.  

Before I knew it, the noon bell had chimed, and I found myself sitting between two new friends whom didn't feel new at all...but like a couple of old pals.

And when I got this card from one, I knew wavelengths were colliding:

And a giftcard to the bookstore of all things along with some 'homemade' rolls???

Books and Bread???  How did they know how to speak my language?

              How did they know?

Short and simple....

God.  God knew.  Prearranging and ordaining.  He knew.

I left my lunch date all filled up and overflowing, mouth hurting from laughing. And between phone calls, emails and texts, I felt remembered.  Not forgotten.

I thought, 'how could it get any better than this?'

But it did.  

My family was about to put the icing on the cake.  

Eric--knowing my love for words and prose, gave me a card that I will hold onto forever.  It will go down in history as the card of all cards:

Complete with a long handwritten note full of more words--life giving, air-breathing words.

And, as if it needed anything more, ending with words full of dry-witted, ten-year-old humor:

A birthday filled to the brim, intertwined with Words from beginning to end.  

Written and scripted by the Author who never ceases to surprise.  And who always remembers. 

A Word-filled day I won't soon forget.

'For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.'                   Ephesians 2:10