Happiest of Birthdays

Today I turn 32.

Well, technically I’m still 31 until 7:13 am. Nonetheless, God has blessed me to see another year. For that, among many other things, I am thankful. Words cannot express my gratitude for being alive; something I think we take for granted often.

I’m sure you could name a few people who didn’t make it out of high school. Not that they weren’t going to graduate. They passed away due to unfortunate circumstances. Too young. Way too young. Maybe you knew someone who died right after they graduated. A classmate or person from a rival school. Maybe it was friend in college. A coworker. A loved one. I can recall people to mind for all of those categories, and it hurts. However, it should make one reflect. 

Could that have been me?

The promise of another day is nonexistent. We’re not even sure if we are going to be alive the next minute. Yet, we act like we have all of these tomorrows to get things in order. Relationships are left broken for years. People are sitting in jobs they hate. Families allow rifts to overshadow the love that once reigned over them.

Why?

Maybe it’s the procrastinator in us. Maybe we’ve allowed jealousy, hatred, envy, and strife to consume us so until we don’t see the relationship being healed. Maybe you think it’s too painful to forgive. I don’t know. What I do know we should let it all go. Life is too precious to spend it miserable. We should live freely in the joy God gave us. We should be excited for everyday because it is a gift from Him.

My birthday has put me in a reflective mode. Life has happened these past 32 (still 31 as I’m writing this 😉) years. Some of which I’ve written about on this blog. Through it all God has sustained me. A lot of people don’t realize I was labeled from a young age. However, those labels do not define me. Nor should they define you. You are not what people say. Sometimes we project or own flaws on others. In turn, we give permission to be bound by these fictitious projections, and we struggle. That’s not what God intended for us.  We are better than we think. Our situation is going to be okay. Everything will work out.

Trust God.

It’s my birthday today, and I’m thankful. I look forward to live, health, and strength should God bless me to see it. I pray is the happiest of birthdays for me.