Birthday Singing

What more could a girl want for her birthday? The beautiful, warm sunshine made it an April day to remember. The facebook birthday messages that started rolling in, alluding to the need to enjoy such beautiful weather. The fact that both my husband and I were off work made it an open ended day and the choices were endless.

After a leisurely breakfast, I was told we could go shopping anywhere I'd like. We ended up across the river at the Boulevard Mall, eating at the food court and shopping. I was amazed how the sun was streaming in through the overhead windows. I found my things in two stores, which was great for me, cause I'm NOT a shopper. I also sat on benches soaking in the sun when resting and enjoyed the moms and toddlers around me. We had an early supper on the way back, having Kelsey's pretty much to ourselves. Gorgeous flowers and dark chocolate suddenly appeared after we got home, making it seem like the perfect day. But my best gift came through a phone call.

I picked up the phone to hear a man talking constantly, asking me questions without waiting for answers, wondering what I was doing when he called. I have never met this man, but he is a friend of Melanie's. When she worked for a few summers at a Christian Horizons camp, he became her friend. Tim then started phoning and it didn't really matter that Melanie was often not home. Being autistic, Tim loves numbers. He was always remembering everyone's birthday and anniversary, asking when would be a good time to call on those days.

In the middle of the conversation, Tim suddenly started singing loudly to me. He sang "Happy Birthday" with perfect pitch and rhythm, warming my heart in the process. When he was done, I quickly told him what a wonderful voice he has and how I enjoyed the song. I knew we would soon be back to the repetitive talking. With all the tangible gifts of the day, this was a song just for me. "He will have joy over you with loud singing," came to my mind. Is this how God feels about me, caring enough to break through the noise and confusion of a mind to show love? I truly felt loved through a simple birthday song.

To top off a wonderful day, I received some special homemade cards from the Brownlee children and realized once again how blessed I am with friendships. But the special memory of Tim's singing will stay with me as I go into this year, reminding me that I can rest in God's love for the days ahead.


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