Happy Birthday, Aaron!

 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16 ESV).

 

There is a wonderful song performed by Hot Soup, first released in 2005, with the chorus of “God danced on the day you were born.” That chorus expresses the same joy of our reading today. I am brought to this thought because today is my youngest son’s birthday. Aaron is 38… I’m not sure how nearly four decades have passed since we first knew of him. However, I am sure of the love and wonder I have received through him. The picture I’ve chosen to attach to today’s devotional was taken several years ago in Washington D.C., where Aaron lives and works. It was a wonderful day of touring the capitol and the surrounding area.

 

As you can tell, we favor one another with the exception that Aaron exercises much more discipline in maintaining his weight. That is not the focus of my pride however. I could spend a good deal of time talking about his achievements, or his vocation; but that isn’t the foundation of my love either. As I have tried to communicate the reason for my love for all my children and grandchildren consistently through the years, it occurs to me that today is a good day to reiterate it. I have tried to grow our relationship through the principle that “I love them because of who they are, not because of what they do.”

 

That is not because of a lack of achievements to count. It is the basis for God’s love for each of us; and, it should be the basis of our love for our families. In speaking about this truth, the Psalmist says, “… I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works” (vv. 13-14). You see, God has designed and created each of us uniquely. The result of that creation is wonderful. Here’s what the dictionary says about that word: inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous. Is it any wonder that God danced the day we were born? So, happy birthday, Aaron! I can assure you I danced that day in 1983, and have danced each day since because of your birth. For those of you who are having difficulty with that in regard to your children, please remember that they are indeed wonderfully created. Love them, pray for them, model grace toward them in all things.