Yip, yesterday was my birthday! I had a great day, and while I didn’t succeed in making it a holiday for everyone at work (I did try!), I did have a fun day! Amongst the lovely birthday cards was one with the word “May you live life fully, find happiness in little things, follow all your dreams, always realise how truly beautiful you are – and never forget how much you’re loved.”
Wise and true words I think! As I read them, I was reminded of Dr Seuss’ poem “Happy Birthday to you!”
If you’d never been born, well then what would you be?
You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!…
Or worse than all that…Why, you might be a WASN’T
A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t.
A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present.
But you…you ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!…
Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!…
I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!
If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”
(Dr Seuss, Happy Birthday to me!, 1959)
God created each of us with an eternal and specific purpose in mind. He has a good future for us that He planned from the beginning. The purpose and plans God has for us were specifically planned for each of us, not our neighbour, friend or colleague. We can’t fulfil their destiny and they can’t fulfil ours. We were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to me.” (Psalm 139:16)
We have a choice. We can either align ourselves and thereby identify with what is said about us and what the world thinks of us, or we can identify with Jesus. Jesus was secure because He knew His destiny. He said He knew who He was because He knew where He came from and where He was going. That is, He identified Himself with His Father.
“Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.” (John 8:14)
Remember the fairytale – the Ugly Duckling? Just like the farm animals failed to see the Ugly Duckling’s potential and opted to judge him based on his outward appearance, today we are often tempted to do the same based purely on the natural realm. We can judge and be judged based on appearance, ability, education, status. But God knows what hidden treasure and potential He has placed in us.
When the people saw a Shepherd Boy, God saw a King. When people saw a common fisherman, God saw the rock upon which He would build His Church. The Lord looks on us in our finished state. His perspective of us is eternity. When He speaks to us it is as finished not as we are now. He calls us out, just like He called Gideon into his destiny by claiming him as a man of valour. When we know who we are in Christ, we then are secure regardless of our position. That is certainly something to celebrate!!!!
So Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to you! And remember you are loved – by our amazing God!
Blue Skies & Lollipops 
Glad you had a wonderful birthday and what a lovely, inspiring post. I’m so tempted to compare all the time and look at others and think ‘If only I were like them, I’d…..” but the fact of the matter is, God made me to be me and it’s actually ok to be me. I’m ok. There isn’t anything wrong with being me and I just need to accept that.
May you have many more happy birthdays and keep growing in wisdom and strength of faith.