I was dreading my 37th birthday, for a few reasons. I can not be with my parents for the first time since I was born, for one, and 40 seems closer than ever, with the physical signs to prove it. I decided denial would be a good place to stay on June 1…so I planned to get a manicure and pedicure, and buy myself a fun skirt at the market…and that would be my birthday….
God had a present for me….
Some of my most precious friends had flown in the day before for a vision trip with their entire families….and so my day started with a birthday serenade, from all of them. That song had interrupted several e-cards I was downloading, that left me in tears. They wanted me to join them for the day, at one of my favorite care-points…not what I had planned. This time of year, we almost have too many visitors at care-points, so my family and I try to stay out of the way, and when everyone goes back to the States, we are more needed.
Had I missed this day however I would have been devastated…I did not know that today was the day I had been waiting for since I came to Swaziland. We have (Jumbo and Kriek) been collecting and storing clothing for months, waiting for the day we had enough for ALL the kids. Every time the tempeture dropped, so did my stomach, thinking of the little ones in rags on a cold African evening.
But today, with my best friends, Nicole, Emily, Hannah, and Kriek, we lined up dirty babies and children, washed them off, and dressed them in new, warm, fresh clothes…..it was so beautiful. There is something spiritual about washing them clean, and putting clothes they are worthy of, instead of rags. The little girls twirl in their dresses; the young boys stand taller and proud. It is a baptism of the heart and soul….God’s presence is very real and tangible in these moments.
The children were blessed, but I was overwhelmed….
That evening Gary had planned a huge party for me, I was toasted, encouraged and swimming in the love of my friends….my friends who showered me with gifts, cards, blessings, and hugs…AND a card from the States….from my parents…as soon as I saw my mothers handwriting…I felt like I was with them….She had included a picture of the two of them, which was perfect, since I miss all my family pictures the most!
My blessings overflow, I CAN’T wait to see what God has for me June 1, 2008!!!!!
