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“A happy birthday to you. A happy birthday to you. May you feel Jesus near every day of the year. A happy birthday to you. A happy birthday to you and the best year you’ve ever had!” Many of you have heard this Christian birthday tune. My time at Gateway College of Evangelism allowed me the opportunity to sing this song on many occasions. If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing a bunch of rowdy college students, singing at the top of their lungs, while banging utensils on tables and stomping their feet, you’ve truly missed out on a lot of fun—but probably still have most of your sanity and hearing.
Birthdays are celebratory occasions. Children look forward to them with great anticipation. The middle-aged look forward to them with dread. And the elderly look forward to them with hope. We mark birthdays on calendars so we won’t forget them. Hallmark spends thousands and thousands of dollars creating funny or inspirational birthday greetings and makes millions selling them. We have parties with cake, candles, ice cream, streamers, balloons, gifts, and sometimes a clown.
I love natural birthdays just as much or more than the next person. I just checked my calendar and yes, if you’ll look on December 20, you’ll see the handwritten words, “My birthday.” Pretty ridiculous, I know. However, if I flip back to February 9, all that is marked on my calendar is “Grandma flies out.” You don’t know what should be written on February 9, but I do. My spiritual birthday. The day I repented, Jesus washed away my sin, and filled me with the beautiful gift of the Holy Ghost.
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Tobi Bockman and husband, Aaron, are involved in numerous ministries at Apostolic Pentecostal Church in St. Louis, Missouri, pastored by Stephen Willeford. She is Mommy to twenty-two-month-old Audrie and enjoys photography and scrapbooking. |
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