A Special 'Birth'day

Just as I do every morning, I got up last Thursday and shuffled into the kitchen all blurry-eyed, making a bee-line for the morning joe.  The only thing that made this day different from any other day was that it happened to be my birthday.  Thus, I immediately perked up when I found an unexpected gift from Eric sitting in front of the coffee pot:

You might be thinking, 'It's a coffee cup.  What's so special about that?'  Or even, 'how boring and ordinary for a birthday present.'

Yet God's handiwork is found in creating something extraordinary out of the boring and ordinary.

Yes, to the average person, this was one ordinary cup.  But to me, it represented so much more.

You see, Nashville will forever be one special place to me because it's my city of re-birth.  The place where God reached down and made my blind eyes see.  While it may be known as Music City for the country fan, I know it as such for a much different reason.  One January cold day in 1997, a twenty-seven year old sinner finally gave up her stubborn will.  The angelic host promptly busted out with the Hallelujah chorus.  

And I've been singing ever since.

Thus, never ever does it grow old to round the bend on the interstate and see the Music City sky-line come in view.  Every single time, my breath catches while I marvel at the beauty of its holiness, the beauty of a Holy God showering down grace to the undeserving.  And a little private worship service in the car almost always ensues.  

Until I go to my grave, Nashvegas will forever represent holy ground for the grateful soul. 

Thus, this ordinary coffee cup is a reminder, a memorial stone.  A reminder of the day of my 're-birth'.  Beautifully given by my husband on my 'birth'day.  Beautifully chosen by God himself, singing 'Happy 'Birth'day to you' to my inmost parts.

So you can imagine the feel-good fuzzy feeling I had all morning long on my birthday while I sipped my favorite drink from my new favorite cup.  I was filled to the rim with the knowledge that I am God's Child and I am loved deeply.  A glorious start to a wonderful day.  

What's more, I have the hope of future meetings.  Many more mornings of sipping my drink as I spend the dawn of new days with my Creator God.  Drinking from my memorial cup while simultaneously drinking from His Well of Words.  A gift that will--indeed--keep on giving over and over and over.  

I love how God can take something small, something ordinary, and creatively use it to make Himself known to us.  Reminding us that we are special and not forgotten. 

God is so good like that.  

My husband is so good like that.

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.  Jeremiah 31:3

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1a