Two Special Gifts

My mom was good at birthdays.  In fact, when Ryan and I got married, he had some big shoes to fill in the birthday celebration department.  Let's just say that it took several years for me to lower my expectations to a realistic level while he simultaneously learned to "up his game."  Now we live at a pretty happy birthday medium.  Well, we do after one terrible Wednesday birthday that ended with me crying in a Food Lion parking lot after church at 9:30 PM and Ryan inside purchasing a birthday cake from the markdown case.  That only happened once.  I did develop a love for whipped cake icing that year.  Not that I could find that stuff in Africa, which is probably good because I'm sure it's totally full of hydrogenated something or other.  How do I get off on these tangents?

Anyway, while we were in the States, Abe turned six.  It was fun to celebrate there, where gifts and goodies are readily available and effortless.  My mom had already planned ahead for Abe's birthday because she had intended to send his gifts in a piece of luggage that was supposed to come in with volunteers.  

She had started a handmade gift for him.  All of my children had received lots of garments sewn by their Grammy.  She was concerned that Abe didn't have as many as the others, so she had made up her mind that she was going to make him a nice cape.  

Unfortunately, she got sick before it was totally finished.  However, she wasn't one to give up easily.  So, one day at the hospital, shortly after I arrived, one of my cousins came from Ohio to visit.  Her mother, my Aunt Alice, and my mother have done quite a few sewing projects together through the years.  My mom called my cousin Charity to her side and whispered something to her.  Later, I found out that she had given Charity instructions on where to find the nearly completed cape and the task of getting it to her mother for completion.  She knew she wouldn't be the one to finish the cape, but she insisted that it had to be done.

My Aunt Alice took up the task and managed to get the cape back to us in time for Abe's birthday.  As you can imagine, there was not a dry eye at the table when Abe opened that special package.  Abe really did love his cape and has enjoyed wearing it.

Trying it on for the first time.

Super Abe!

Even super heroes like donuts!

My mother also planned ahead for my birthday.  Today, I turn 40 years old.  I have no idea how I can possibly be forty, but I am so thankful for the delightful years the Lord has given me (I'm also thankful for the not so delightful ones!)  My mom had already planned to give me a special gift for my birthday, a recording of friends and family sharing special memories and words of encouragement with me.  Like the cape, she was unable to see it to completion, but a dear friend took it upon herself to see that my mom's dream was accomplished.  This morning, we sat at the breakfast table and we cried as we listened to many of you share so many kind words.  I am thankful to all of you who took the time to share.  I am thankful for a mom who took the time to start something so beautiful.

I have to say that the recording was both painful and healing.  To hear my mom's voice was so bittersweet.  I have been living in such a discouraging and seemingly fruitless season, yet the Lord used so many of you to encourage me to be faithful and to remind me of how the Lord has used some of my pitiful attempts in the past to advance his kingdom and bring glory to himself.