So I had a quarantine birthday...
Let me start with, I know that this situation is hard for all of us. Everyone’s situation is different, some of us are quarantined alone and are slowly losing our minds, some of us are quarantined with families, and doing school from home, and are slowly losing our minds.
Some of us haven’t been directly affected by COVID-19, others it seems like life has stopped. The lost of loved ones, jobs, businesses, things you were looking forward to, gone. So please know, I’m very aware that there are those out there that have and are walking through much harder things then a birthday alone... but this is just my story.
My birthday happened to be on Good Friday this year, which seemed a little fitting... lot of reflecting during Holy Week on what Jesus walked through and what His resurrection means. The waiting and the hope of the season seemed to feel a little different this year. I think we all can identify with the idea of waiting and of hope, of longing for this season of life to be over. To return to a normal way of life, to a routine that involves leaving the house and pants with buttons. Maybe it’s just me; but I don’t think it is.
So, anywho... back to my birthday. I come from a family that takes birthdays pretty seriously... of course the level of festivities has changed as we all entered adulthood, but it is still there.. so walking into a birthday week knowing that this year there would be no celebration, no favorite meal, no game night with friends, was interesting. I knew all those things would happen later, but it was a little sad. It was a feeling of tension, how I think life should be and how it actually is.
The night before my birthday I get a text from a dear friend telling me to check my porch...I opened the door to a bag full of balloons, party decor, gifts, and plans for “Sarah’s social distancing birthday”.
Guys, I cried.
Two sweet friends had made arrangements for lunch to be delivered, a friend zoom call, birthday cake, and even a game night via Houseparty. So I of course decorated and went to sleep anticipating the next day.
The next day was filled with the plans these friends had made, countless texts, video messages, Facebook messages, flowers, people stopping by and singing to me from the end of the sidewalk, chips and salsa from a friend, seeing a niece and a nephew from a distance, dinner delivered by one of my brothers, and more love then I think one person deserves. I heard from new and old friends. People that did life with me a long time ago, that I know, even though we have moved away from each other, they would be here in a heartbeat. People I do life with daily went above and beyond to love on me (they are all aware that this has been hard for me).
It was overwhelming. After almost every interaction, I either full out cried or got very misty eyed. I’m tearing up even now as I think about it.
These were/are not bad tears. They are just the overflow of my heart... there not the words to express how deep my gratitude and love for all of those who reached out.
So what did I learn from this completely amazing and overwhelming day?
Throughout this entire experience I have heard people say, and have said myself, “this isn’t how life is supposed to be” and I understand the sentiment and agree on some level, but my birthday also show me another side of things.
This is exactly how life is supposed to be.
Brothers and sisters in Christ standing in the gap and loving each other well. Knowing that when this sister says she is “fine” she isn’t “fine”. Stepping up in difficult times even if it is just for a birthday.
All day that day, and really ever since then a line from a song has been running through my head...
“No one ever cared for me like Jesus”
He used all of you to soothe my weary heart and soul.
He always knows what we need and as James 1:17 tells us
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
No one ever cared for me like Jesus.
This is exactly how it is supposed to be.
And He does not change - even in a quarantine.
