Words!
The day started with a familiar whispered voice floating slowly to my one exposed ear, "Do you know what today is?" As my consciousness raced to catch up with what my ear was hearing, the information suddenly all fell into its proper place and I realized that today I would celebrate my 18,615th trip around the sun! As I lay all snuggled up on my bed, a smirk slowly crept across my face. WOW!!!! That I have been given the gift of so many days! All I could think was, "THIS day is going to be completely delicousful!"
Quickly dressing, my Mr. placed a card and box in my hands. I cradled the box for a few moments and pondered the possibilities of what treasure I was about to discover. True to my childish form, I opened the box first. Moments later, my neck was adorned with the most beautiful sterling silver and opal Honu necklace. Truly a gift of love. However, even better than that were the words that were so carefully penned in the card. Words of affirmation. Words of encouragement. Words of devotion and love.
My morning and afternoon were continually sprinkled with kind texts; sweet instant messages; and thoughtfully written cards. All of these words made my heart full. Little did I know though that the next few hours would totally rock my world. As my shift, in the kitchen ended, we gathered in a circle to chat with the Lord . After our general end of shift prayer, one of my kitchen girlies bellowed out, "It's her birthday! Let's pray for her!" In an instant, I found myself being gentled nudged into the center and completely encased with many arms hugging me and a vast variety of beautiful eyes looking eagerly into mine. Two weeks ago, these kids were completely unknown to me and today, they are precious treasures. It seemed like in that moment, time froze. When I realized they had transitioned and were talking to our Father on my behalf, I was undone. The symphony of their words spoken in Portuguese, Korean, Dutch, Spanish, English, Swedish, German, and a few other languages, swirled and danced over me as they made their way up to my Father's ears. What a gift! This moment will be FOREVER etched in my heart! I believe in that moment, I got to hear a bit of what my Father hears all the time as believer's from all over this planet speak with Him. It is a stunningly beautiful chorus. It is a chorus rich in the harmony of all languages, woven into a continual song. From this moment forward, I will hold this chorus in my mind and savor it every day of my life until I change locations. It is truly an unforgettable splendiferous sound.
If nothing else had happened today, it would have been one of the best birthdays ever. However, little did I know, there was another wonderful gift waiting for me when I returned to our residence. My Mr. informed me that the leadership team wanted to gather and celebrate. To be honest, I was a titch hesitant. I was tired and sticky from a day in the kitchen. Plus, believe it or not, I don't really like to be the center of attention. However, not wanting to be rude, I quickly cleaned myself up and we headed over. Little did I know that I was about to receive another indelible gift. As I entered, I realized we were all being invited to sit in a circle. I wasn't sure what to think. Was this just a social visit? Was there going to be some kind of meeting. I could feel my uncertainty rising up from deep inside. I always get a little afraid when this happens and truth be told, I want to withdraw, run away, or cocoon. Doing a great deal of "self-talk," I managed to sit still and stay put. One of the leaders sat down next to me. For the next 20ish minutes, each person on this team shared from their heartfelt, sincere, and wonderfully affirming words. Oh yeah, one more thing, they served me utterly scrumptious cheesecake! (It was my favorite from the Cheesecake Factory.) As I sauntered back to my room, my heart was dancing and twirling.
As I have pondered the many indelible moments of this day, I realize that they are all woven together with a delicate thread. This thread is an essential element of our existence. As humans, we have an innate need to communicate with each other and therefore we use words to do this. Words can be either verbal or non-verbal, but nevertheless, words are essential to our ability to function on this planet. Words are what bring me both joy and sorrow. They have the ability to inflate my soul or to deflate my heart. Words are a precious commodity that I have been given the ability to use. At the moment, I have the opportunity to use my words to share my thoughts and heart with you. Thank you for listening with your ears and hearing with your heart. May my words bring life to your dry soul. May you know just how precious your words are to those you come in contact with today. May you also know that the one who made you has words of life that will inflate your soul and bring hope. Why not open the Word and let it pour life into you.
Until we exchange "words" again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl
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