Today we celebrate the 30th birthday of our oldest daughter Beth. Even when she was a tiny baby, someone observed that Beth had the “gift of a joyful spirit,” which has been evident her whole life. She is still a dynamic energy source in our family, finding fun in everything, and possessing an uncanny ability to make friends anywhere and everywhere. As a teenager, Beth could make two phone calls and end up with forty kids in the basement. She played the piano as a child for the sheer joy of making music. Her creativity and artwork continue to astonish everyone. And to our other three girls, she remains the beloved big sister. All that giftedness is now manifest in new dimensions as a great wife and mother of two young children. She loves the Lord, and it shows everyday. Happy birthday, sweetie.
Today is also a celebration of another sort --my 30th anniversary of becoming a mom. At the time Beth was born, I was filled with great joy, but as soon as we came home from the hospital, whoa, I had NO idea how to care for a newborn. I felt like an unskilled intern in the school of improvisation. I learned to juggle, invent, and pray a lot. “O Lord, I have no idea what I am doing.” God is so faithful. I ask forgiveness for the millions of mistakes and mishaps made along the way in raising four daughters, and I am thankful that love and God’s grace cover a multitude of blunders and naivety. But when all is said and done, it was great fun and all good, even those times we cannot understand, even those parts we cannot comprehend. I feel so blessed.
On this special day, I thank God for you Beth and for the great 30 year adventure that began with you. I have loved being your mom.
Children are a gift from the LORD.
Psalm 127.3
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