Birthday thanks

As every birthday passes, I am increasingly convicted of the adage that “no man is an island”. I would not be who I am today without the people who surround me in my life. Gratitude, humility and service out of a heart of love and compassion that I see in people around me motivate and inspire me to be a better person who is striving to safe-keep these attributes.

The pressure to just go with the flow and follow the crowd instead of upholding key biblical principles and values can be overwhelming. Doing the right thing is tough. Holding one’s tongue, giving others the benefit of the doubt, walking in another person’s shoes, lending a listening ear, resisting the feeling of schadenfreude, extending a helping hand, serving and guiding others, and finally, faithfully following God in a world that appears increasingly to have forsaken Him.

Oftentimes, I fail, and many times I fail badly. But you know what? Jesus already knew the sinner I am even before He gave his life for me. The wonderful comfort of His grace. How immensely liberating in a world that is status-obsessed, achievement-oriented, works-based, money-conscious and love-deprived.

I have nothing to prove because God has already accepted me by extending His grace to me. I have everything I need to serve because God has given me His Holy Spirt, my comforter and my guide. That is not all. God has also blessed me with many strong trees of shelter in this one life of mine. Whenever I need comfort, rest and recharging, I disappear under their shade where I feel protected, safe and refreshed.