I didn't know how to celebrate this year. I thought...maybe I'll have a dinner out. Or maybe I'll take a trip into the mountains to play in the snow. Or maybe I'll go shopping with the best of the best. And before I knew it, the day was upon me.
I have friends everywhere. Some days I don't see that. There are lonely days. Isolated days. Fearful days. But I am protected and loved wherever I go. Beneath all of the anxiety, under the rough water in the deep calm, the Lord's built a web of connections to so many people.
I saw that yesterday. A whole gaggle of people emailing me to send their birthday wishes. There was a beautifully over the top buffet in my honor in the break room. Maroon bunting. Little orange roses. All the things you need to make a parfait (yogurt and berries, of course, for those of us who are being good). They handed me a teal tiara.
It didn't stop there. Smiles and hugs all day. I could sense the Lord whispering "I love you, Val. These people love you. You're important."
When I got home, I still hadn't decided what to do with my evening. I knew John would be coming through the door any minute asking for a plan. How do people my age celebrate their birthday? What if I don't want to go out to a nice dinner? What if I want to stay in? A book signing had caught my eye earlier that day. Is that even an option?
I stopped for a moment to remember what the Lord was saying. "I love you, Val...You're important." And in that freedom, I chose to stop worrying and listen to myself. This is really just the beginning of a year of finding my voice...of learning to dream. I choose to step forward. One step down.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
