It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids cannonballing
And everyone calling, Happy Birthday, dear
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

I love my birthday. I love opening presents. And birthday cake – don’t forget the cake! Or, as I woke up to this year, fresh out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.

I love my birthday.

It’s in August and I love summer so maybe I just love having something to celebrate this month. Or maybe August is my favorite month because it’s my birthday. Regardless, I still enjoy birthdays, even after almost 50 of them!

A friend’s birthday is the day after mine so we started celebrating together several years ago. A little playdate (and cake – don’t forget the cake!) with our kids and some other friends at a park. Or time at the local beach – again with friends and kids and cake.

Another group of friends, called the Birthday Club, gets together…well, for our birthdays. For my birthday this year, several of us spent a sunny, summer Sunday afternoon at a restaurant, eating and talking for almost three hours.

Then, of course, there’s the August celebration with my family because my mom’s birthday is August also. So, that was earlier this month. And finally celebrating with Chuck and Cody on the actual day. Which, this year, began with the previously mentioned “breakfast cookies” as Cody called them and ended with pizza on the beach for supper and Cody doing a “6th grader cannon ball!” off the dock. And there were texts and Facebook posts and emails from friends and family all day long.

After all of these people had thought of me, took time out of their day, and sent me birthday wishes. After God spoke to me all day long through all of those people, telling me over and over again, “I love you, Carrie.”

After all of that, I told God this morning I was disappointed with what He’s given me.

I said it not so much angrily as honestly, because I read a Bible study years ago that reminded me that God just wants me to talk to Him. Which means saying whatever is on my mind, even if it’s not nice. Even if it’s not something I think I should say to The One who created me. Who gave me life. And keeps giving me life. Keeps giving me birthday after birthday.

The thing is when I actually say those things to Him though, I get clarity. So, when I told Him I was discontented with my life, He reminded me of my birthday. He reminded me of all the people who thought of me on my birthday and how I even wrote on a Facebook post that night, “I feel very loved & am grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life.”

How could I lose that in just a few short days?!

And you know what triggered it? Yardwork. More specifically, 10 years of yardwork trying to bring order to our backyard and just never finishing. I worked on it yesterday and I guess just woke up tired of it.

But really it could be so many things that are heavy burdens. Epilepsy? Nope, didn’t want that in my life. Open-heart surgeries followed by a stroke? In my husband who is only 54 years old? God really could have prevented that from happening.

But He also gives me birthdays. Friends and family. Birthday wishes, cards, presents. Feeling loved. And cake – don’t forget the cake!

After thinking about all that day held this year, I also remembered a little laminated quote I keep on top of my dresser. I don’t even remember where I found it (so if it’s your quote and I’m not citing you, please forgive me).

It says,

Dear God,

Thank you for this beautiful life and please, forgive me, if I don’t love it enough.

It doesn’t have to be my birthday to be a wonderful day, a wonderful time of the year. This is a beautiful life every day. Thank You, God, for reminding me of that.