"No, it's not Earth Day," I said, trying to hide my amusement. "But it rhymes with Earth Day."
"Worth day? Derf Day? Surf Day? Nerf Day?"
He finally figured out it was my birthday (although there was slight disappointed it wasn't Nerf Day). Shortly thereafter, he presented me with a birthday present: a mostly used Wal-Mart gift card left over from Christmas.
Oh, how I love the heart in a seven-year-old's giving. They don't worry that it's not good enough. There's no self-conscious or insecure thought that the receiver won't like it. They just do.
Speaking of doing, my friend, Michelle, gave me a birthday gift for us to go and 'do' together. It certainly was a big to-do.
She took me to the Living Proof Live Beth Moore Conference in Memphis. It happened to be right smack dab on my birthday. While I was pumped up about going, I was not prepared for all the showering down of blessings that came with this gift.
For one, as we were leaving the hotel to go to the FedEx Forum, you'll never guess who we ran smack dab into? If you guessed Beth, you guessed right! I wish I could tell you that we acted all cool and hip, with just the right inspirational words of convo. Unfortunately, we were struck with a big case of Cindy Brady stage fright and just stared, blank and silent. Oh, well. Just being that close for a moment was enough for me. And I couldn't help thinking how sweet it was for God to arrange that little encounter. On my birthday. A surprise little package.
My birthday always has a little empty spot associated with it because I'm reminded that my mother is no longer here to celebrate it with me. Because let's face it. Moms celebrate their children's birthdays better than anyone else on the face of the earth. I believe that has everything to do with the fact that it's a 'birth'day and us mothers will never, ever forget the intimate details surrounding that word 'birth'. Oh, no we won't! Whether the 'birth' day is physically giving birth or the day you held your adopted child for the first time, these moments are forever seared in a mama's memory. Yes, a mama's got some mileage when it comes to birthdays and can specialize them like nobody's business.
These thoughts were all swirling about in my head (along with a bit of self-pity, I might add) as Beth Moore took the stage. Yet, God sure knows how to bring about something sweet in the midst of our pain. Right about then, my melancholy mood got hi-jacked by an amazing realization, a God-realization:
"While you don't get to spend this day with your earthly 'birth' mom, tonight you get to spend it with your 'spiritual' mom. Happy Birthday, sweet daughter."
Goose-bumps overtook. Surprise package number two, all wrapped up in a profound truth.
I had never really thought about it before, how Beth Moore is my Spiritual Mom. But she definitely is. Right after my 'birth' as a believer, I had a desire to truly study God's Word. About then, our Young Couple's Sunday School class began a once a week woman's Bible study. That study was Beth Moore's 'A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place'. Wow, did that study teach me the cohesiveness of the Bible and how the Old Testament jived with the New! Not only did Beth teach me God's truth, she inspired me. Just like we might be inspired to perform better at a sport by watching an Olympian athlete, she inspired me to seek after Him as she sought after Him. The most profound thing I will never forget her saying: 'If you don't have a desire to pray and read His Word, pray for it! That's a prayer that He's gonna answer!'
Thank you, Beth, for teaching me to pray that prayer. And really just for being God's ambassador to thousands of women just like me. Thank you for sparking a revival amidst the body of believers. I can't wait to meet you in person one day on a street paved in gold and give you a hug of thanksgiving. I hope to not be tongue-tied this time and get to have coffee with you at the Heavenly Cafe (cause we all know there's going to be lattes in heaven).
Thank you, Michelle, for giving me a gift on my birthday that had so much to do with my spiritual birth. Not only was it a reminder of my spiritual heritage, it was the beginning of something new. God is birthing and commissioning much new life out of what we learned and what we prayed during that LPL Memphis 'birth'day! We are STOMPING our way to victory :) !!!
And thank you, Owen, for my mostly used Wal-Mart gift card. I think I'll save it for Earth Day.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
