Friday, June 28, 2013

A Very Good Birthday/Week


Last year I posted on my birthday and got more hits than ever before. It's because it was nearly 100 degrees in Chicago and I titled it "Hottest. Birthday. Ever." There were quite a few disappointed readers out there when they quickly realized I was talking about actual temperatures and not another porn site. I was tempted to reference the Stanley Cup this year since the Hawks Parade was downtown today and I have become quite the fan in my later years, but that seemed like another bait and switch. Especially since I didn't even go downtown with the masses when I had the day off. Instead, I preferred a quiet celebration with the immediate members of my family.

Truth be told, I've been celebrating for a week already. Through the generosity and kindness of my husband, mom/dad and sister I was able to fly out to California for five days, drive up and down Highway One along the Pacific Coast, hang with friends in San Francisco and take in wine country. Today the fairy tale continued with: a breakfast outdoors at Panera (that spinach and artichoke soufflé is a little slice of heaven); two rounds of golf with my son at the park district course my gramps always took us to when we were kids; a movie (Ry and I opted for Man of Steel while the girls took in Monsters University); and dinner on the roof top of Lou Malnati's to cap it all off. I should probably qualify that the golf course is five holes before you wonder how we got 36 in. Gramps was nothing if not frugal. It was a little swampy after the rain, but that worked to our advantage because there was only one other person on the course. So we used a lot of Mulligans. And a lot of balls. And we didn't keep score. Except for the two times we made par.

It gets better - homemade cards (including a poster), chalk signs on the driveway and decorations throughout the house - multiple phone messages, Facebook wishes (via Dan's account) and snail mail cards (so great to get something other than a bill). God has surrounded me with people who love and encourage me.

It had been about five-six weeks since I posted last because my life has been on hyper-drive for two solid months. I used to judge people whose lives I thought were unnecessarily busy. I'm in full repentance mode now.

If it's been too long since you had a respite from the chaos, I'd encourage you to take a leap of faith and just stop. Stop one thing. Stop everything. For a day. Or two. Or a week.

I didn't initiate my break, God in His mercy orchestrated it through the folks I mentioned above. I didn't deserve a break any more than anyone else, but if there's one thing I've learned about God it's how He delights to give His unmerited favor. Life had gotten so loud I'd have thought only the voice of thunder would have gotten my attention. But in His grace, God slowed my world down so that I could hear His whisper.

It's been a very good birthday.

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