Birthdays: Celebrating the call of God on your Life

Our pilgrim mentors, teachers and friends - Leo and Nancy Martin of the Jenny Museum in Plymouth, MA

When we were in Plymouth this past September, we learned that our pilgrim forefathers didn't celebrate birthdays, but rather- they celebrated the call of God on their lives, and they had a special birthday scripture they would memorize as well. I LOVE this and I am embracing it this year on my 31st birthday. Now, I may not have all of this memorized, but when I was 18, God showed me Isaiah 58 (to shorten it for here, I will focus on verses 6-10). I knew then, and shared it with my mom and sister, that THIS was and IS the call of God on my life...

Isaiah 58:6-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

6[Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?

7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

8 Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking,

10 And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday.

As I awoke today, looking back on many years of laughter, love, pain, sorrow, joy, hope, trials, losses, victories and miracles... I cannot deny the firm, gentle hand of God, there- protecting, leading, loving, teaching, comforting, providing and training. I realized, that through it all, I have been in the process of being trained. 

My beautiful momma!

People say that experience is the best teacher, but I say that the Holy Spirit is the great teacher! He doesn't require experience to teach us, we're actually supposed to learn from God's Word and His leading so we don't HAVE to be taught via experience. BUT, He does (like any loving parent) use our experiences to teach us a great number of things! My training has consisted of the best of both!  As an added bonus, He has given me people in my life and used to allow me to learn from THEIR experiences. Two of the most special to me are my mom and my sister!

Lovely Leah Faith

It is my hope that part of the call on my life is to be able to allow others that same benefit- I have gleaned from, only- as pertaining to my own battles and lessons learned. Ultimately, the greatest climax of this will be using all I have learned, all I have been trained by God for, to instruct my own children to follow the Father. For them to be able to reach the lost without having to suffer the pain of lessons learned through experiences- but rather to use the lessons learned from others. 

When talking about the call of God on my life my mom told me yesterday that I have a gift of hospitality. I guess I would just call it, having a deep consideration for other's feelings and a desire to treat them the way I would want to be treated- to be thought of. I like to let others know that I am thinking of them, that GOD is thinking of them! 

Today, I thank God for the call He has on my life, 
To be a daughter, sister, friend, and one day a mother and wife...

In that capacity to be the shining light of Christ, 
Like a beacon to the Father above...

That we all may be planted, nourished, tended to and loved...
In the Garden of His truth and life and His peace- like a Dove

My Isaiah 58 peeps!

2 Peter 1:10Amplified Bible (AMP)

 Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.

As always, remember that Jesus is that true light that expels ALL darkness!

Much Love,

Michelle, Leah, Jeanne, Matt, Justin, Jimmy and Ashley

And just for fun...

Our new little sis in Christ Ashley!