Alice's Birthday

June 28, 2022

When I first met Pastor Ericléia, she was three months pregnant with Alice. We had to push back their initial interview to become the pastors of the Anapolis team because she went into labor. Celebrating precious Alice’s birthday always brings back memories of that time. The first two years of her life were with a team of missionaries and the second two years were in a pandemic. And every day with her is an adventure.

Last year her birthday was Pocoyo themed and this year was PJ Masks. Ericleia is trying to get her to like Alice in Wonderland enough to do a themed birthday someday, but that’s kind of a hard sell for a small child. It’s hard to top super heroes in pajamas. Preparing for the party was especially fun because Alice was so excited for it. She saw all the red, green, and blue things coming together and she knew it was for her. She already loves any party, but birthday parties are the best, and this time she got to actually be Owlet, the best super hero of the mall.

The obvious gift option would be a PJ Masks toy, but they are ridiculously expensive, and not always four year-old friendly. I knew another family was giving her duplos and her other passion right now is Sonic. I was so excited when I found a stuffed Sonic toy. I don’t know a lot about Sonic, but neither does she so it’s okay. I think the red Sonic is actually a different character, but for her and me it is now the red Sonic.

The party was great. There were two other families with kids that were planning on coming, but for different reasons they weren’t able to. We were kind of bummed, but it didn’t even phase Alice. She loved every single second. The duplo family changed their mind last minute and got her clothes, as did all the other guests. Alice absolutely adored her new dress and pink tennis shoes. But that made me the only irresponsible aunty to give her a toy. And it was so worth it. She screamed when she pulled the red Sonic out of the gift bag and you could see it absolutely blowing her mind.

I love buying gifts. I’m not always the best at it, but I love the process of dreaming about what the person would like, what would surprise them and bring them joy. And then the tireless hunt to find something perfect for that person. I heard a message a while ago by a Brazilian pastor that has stuck with me. It’s not a perfect metaphor, but he was talking about types of birthday parties we go to. There’s the party where you don’t know the person very well. Maybe you were invited by an acquaintance, or it’s a friend of a friend. You go more to make an appearance, hang out with the people you know, maybe eat some food. Then there’s the party where you don’t know the person well and you are surprised you got an invitation. Maybe it’s a new friend or coworker. You value the person and want to celebrate them, but you’re not sure about the protocol. Do you bring a gift or some food? What does the person even like? But you make an effort to try to be a good guest.

It’s completely different when it’s a real friend or family member. You have so much to celebrate: the person’s life, what they mean to you, who they are, and what they enjoy. You plan out their favorite food and activities. You invite their favorite people. You plan the perfect present to represent your love and how important they are to you. Like a red Sonic.

We may celebrate “Jesus’s birthday” at Christmas, but we also get together every week to celebrate who God is. It’s easy to fall into patterns of attending church as a less than interested birthday party guest. We show up to make an appearance. We talk to the people we know. We get caught up on the week or make contact with people to make plans. We check in with God to see how we’re doing and if He wants to say anything to us this week. Or like the second type of birthday party, we make an effort to please God, even though we’re not sure how. We try to be a good guest in God’s presence, knowing what an honor it is. I always put a lot of effort into being a good example in church. I paid attention, brought my Bible, and was appropriately dressed to set a good example for my peers.

What could it look like if Sunday was a birthday party for God? If instead of making an effort to be appropriate I made an effort to know what God would really like, what would bring Him joy. It would have less to do with the people around me, less to do with the emotion of music, more to do with my sincerity and vulnerability. Bringing all my gratitude and praise and frustration and plans and honestly, earnestly listening to God. My behavior is not a gift to God. I want to bring Him a present of my full attention and willing surrender.