Birthday Blessings

A great many people I know have their birthdays in August. My guess is that people with August birthdays are more likely to have celebrated their special day while travelling. Birthdays are cool. Everybody has them. They are unique to families and individuals as well.


During our stay in Guatemala we had opportunity to celebrate with a Mayan family the birthday of their thirteen year old daughter. Juan, the father of this family is discipling many families in the area. The daughter had no idea the celebration was coming. Two beautiful cakes had been purchased in her honor.

I was moved by what followed the singing of ‘Happy Birthday.” Each person in the family, including uncles and grandparents, offered up a pearl of wisdom and a prayer for the young woman. There were deep prayers for her wisdom and counsel for her to heed her parents wisdom. Words were shared regarding having quality friendships and warning was given on the dangers of bad company. The prayers were from the heart and oft accompanied by voices beset with emotion. Tears were shed. Many hugs were given.

It was a sober reminder to number our days ‘that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.’ So often our celebrations are vacuous and hardly worth remembering. This low key celebration was one of the deepest and most significant I’ve experienced.

My heart’s hope is that time can be taken for those August birthdays, and those that follow as does my daughters, is to give thanks to Him who has granted us breath for another year and abundant blessing. Might we learn to give more than a gift card to the ritzy eatery down the street but rather be filled with words which give life to those that give and those that receive.