Today is my son’s birthday. The tradition in our family is to decorate the staircase and kitchen the previous night and have presents displayed so they can be opened first thing in the morning. It is such a delight as a parent to get up extra early (and I am 100% not a morning person) to hear your child’s feet hit the ground and scuttle franticly downstairs. The moment I saw him I started singing happy birthday.
This morning I am sure I was excited as my son because of an envelope waiting for him on the table. Inside were two tickets to the Alabama game in Tuscaloosa against Arkansas. I know for many this will seem completely unbelievable, but he has never seen the Crimson Tide play in person. He has never yelled Roll Tide Roll in the stadium. I know, I know…I am a failure as a father. It was truly heartwarming to watch his eyes and the expression on his face when he realized he was headed to Bryant-Denny stadium.
Did you know every day is your birthday? Hear me out. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Apostle Paul, himself made new, writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Has anything truer ever been uttered? Great is the faithfulness of a merciful God who never tires of loving us, new creations in Jesus. To be honest, I often mope around feeling guilty and unworthy most mornings. I am a sinner after all. I am not the husband, father, nor pastor that I should be – ugh. A strong cup of coffee is not going to solve this. Thankfully, the Father greets me first thing every day with a gift – His grace. This is not something that He reluctantly gives me. God’s Word says, as His child (1 John 3:1), His love is perfect, unfathomable, immeasurable, and enduring. In fact, His love is so great that He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). Maybe it is the familiar tune of happy birthday.