I voted for a morning date today to celebrate my birthday. For starters, morning dates are just too romantic and cute, and of course breakfast is the only meal that I can reasonably eat out. Just a plain bowl of oats for me please...and yes, I would like to pay $4 for those oats just so I can eat out on my birthday instead of eat the free ones at home with all my glorious toppings.
Of course, in a moment of weakness I decided to order the fried apples alongside. I mean, it sorta fits into the 7, right? Well, luckily I came to my senses just two bites in. Forgive me for those two bites, but it is my birthday!
There is a lesson in all this. Remember when I talked about fasting last week and the irony that fasting is about relinquishing all control to God, yet, so many times we use a fast as a means to exercise control over our own lives instead. Yup, I've been doing that.
But today is hard. Today is my birthday and my way of celebrating is through food and drink. That's how I do it. Today I wanted to eat that muffin that came with the oats. Today I wanted to scoop up Forbes' hashbrowns right from under his nose. But today I rely on God. After all, fasting is supposed to teach us that above all else we need Him. Above food I need God. I need faith in a risen Savior and I need the comforting power of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever read the 5 Love Languages? My love languages are touch and gifts. Well, I should say gifts and touch. Because I definitely speak and read love through gifts. That makes this year doubly hard. No celebration with food, and to my preference, no celebration with gifts. It just doesn't seem right to accept gifts when I am in the process of getting rid of all my belongings. Sure I really wanted the new Chef Chloe Cookbook which conveniently comes out tomorrow, and a Vitamix is high on the priority list. But how can I justify those items when I just gave away all my vegan cookbooks and most of my small kitchen appliances.
Forbes is keen on what I need right now, and realized that a great act of service would be the perfect gift. Which is why last night he spent 2 solid hours dying my hair for me!
Hard to see clearly, but I am now rocking the "soft black." I love it!
So Happy Birthday to me today! And if you really want to give me a gift we are accepting donations for missions or you could just buy our house!
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