Numbering Our Days

Marcella Palar 88: 9 18 25

Last week when we shopped for out weekly groceries, the young lady who sacked our purchase was excited. She told me that on the night before she had celebrated her birthday! She was beaming! We were ready to leave so I didn't have a chance to ask how old she was. 

It's been a long time since I was that happy about a birthday. To put the right number of candles on my cake would have resulted in a bonfire. This year was one of those big birthdays ending in zero. I had no desire to celebrate.

My sister who lives with her daughter in Pennsylvania was back in Iowa for her 88th birthday. We celebrated with a little cake with eight candles on it. She enjoyed the party and was proud to reach 88. She even blew out all eight candles at once! It was fun watching her enjoy her day.

So what does the Bible say about birthdays? Birthdays are mentioned only two or three times.

"Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials." (Genesis 40:20 NIV)

"Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee." (Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21 NIV).

Though 'birthdays' are not mentioned in Psalms, we can find many words of wisdom about aging.

(Psalm 90:9, 10, 12 NIV). "All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Heavenly Father, sometimes the days float by us so fast that we hardly notice them at all. Then we check the calendar and another week or month or year has already passed. Help us, Lord, to pause and breathe in our experiences, one day at a time. We thank You that we are here for another day and we acknowledge that our time comes from You. We worship You, Lord and thank You for sending the gift of Your Son, in whose Holy Name we pray, Amen.