A new birthday

Imagine the fun of a birthday party with ice cream, candy, decorations, and even those rubber-banded party hats that pinch under your chin. Add a candle to the cake, and everybody’s smiling and bubbly. One very sweet friend adds her personal testimony as she celebrates her Christian birthday. More than the day she arrived on this earth, she recognizes the day she asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior. I know no one else who celebrates this way, and she’s caused me to rethink a few things for good reason. She grew up in excruciating circumstances. She was sexually abused as a child, and in her adolescence, her mother tried to kill her with a car. Having sought the services of a counselor at different points of her adulthood, this sweet friend has gained healthful perspective and tried to reconnect with some members of her family, though it’s been a rough road. Her love of the Lord is utmost. She recognizes His deep love for her, and that’s why she celebrates. Even for people with cushy lives, all the nice-and-neat childhoods in the world don’t change the fact that we all need the love and forgiveness of Jesus. No matter where we’re born on this globe, no matter our difficulty or ease in dealing with family, no matter the pain we’ve endured or the pain we’ve caused, Jesus offers a new beginning. 1 Peter 1:3 says He has given us new birth into a living hope. May we celebrate.