This Is A New Year

Being a first born, I am often introspective, usually to a fault. I have found that special occasions or calendar reminders are a big trigger for me and while school may start, the leaves change colors, spring flowers bloom, or Santa's arrival is anticipated, I can usually be found looking inward and assessing life's greater meaning.

Now that you know this, it won't surprise you to hear that my upcoming birthday in an hour or so does the same thing. The only time I really struggled with a particular age was during my 29th year as I anticipated the big 3-0. But once that passed, I haven't really minded birthdays. I figure that if I didn't have them, I wouldn't be here anymore, so that's usually a good deterrent to the birthday blues.

Like many before, I will be working on my birthday, but not near as hard as some years past. I've been part of huge rivalry football games, a homecoming parade, a milestone celebration with 2000 inquisitive high school students wondering what was going on, and quiet days that went mostly unnoticed. But I've always been aware of God's thoughts toward me because of Psalm 139. I won't share it all here, but there are a few verses that are my favorite.

"O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me...and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Where can I go from Thy Spirit? For Thous didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; my frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret...in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them."

Most of us have had times when we've wondered if God was there in our life; either when we were conceived, when a parent left, when as a child we were unprotected or unloved, or when life fell so hard around us we couldn't imagine ever picking up the pieces and moving forward. Yet God has never moved and He is still redeeming and restoring and making whole those who've been broken. I know because I am one of them.

So as this day is waning and tomorrow is standing at the edge of what will soon be today, I just want to thank God for my day of birth. But more importantly, I want to thank Him for my day of rebirth; when the scales were removed and I saw Jesus lifted high as He drew me to Himself. I don't know much and I understand even less, but this I know: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
~2 Corinthians 5:21.

With family and friends far away, this won't be a party year. But I thought I'd leave you with a picture of when I celebrated my 6th birthday with my friend Pam, who lived next door and was only 2 days older than me. I'm on the left with the tiara. I don't really know why I have that on because those were actually dance costumes and the feather in her hair was what went with the costume. Maybe that was God giving me an early clue just what He thought of me and would proceed to take my lifetime to teach me - that all girls are princesses because their Daddy says so!


This is a new year, this is a new day to rise
Shine, lift up your eyes
This is a new year, this is a new day to rise
Shine and point the way to God's great life

Where hope can hold my hand of sorrow
We can walk into tomorrow
This is a new year, this is a new day to rise
Shine, lift up your eyes

This is a new year, this is a new day to rise
Shine and point the way to God's great life

"New Year", Charlie Hall, The Bright Sadness Album