Tomorrow (March 27th) is a special friend’s birthday. It’s mine. I don’t
always think of myself as a friend to myself, yet I feel that I should.
Why? Well, the celebration of a life into the world is an amazing
event an event worth being shared and not hidden. Growing up on a farm I
remember being brought out into our family’s big red barn to catch a glimpse of
a calf making its debut on this big blue rotating ball called earth. This
event was far from dignified or pristine as the calf came out slimy, shivering,
and wobbly. As the mother ate the afterbirth the calf attempted to make
its first few steps by gaining enough strength to stand up to fall back down
again. Watching a little further the calf was eventually able to walk on
its own. After viewing this magnificent event I would quickly come home to
share the news with my family
I don’t
usually make a big deal of my birthday as I play it down not wanting to feel
like I’m the center of attention. After many birthdays have come and gone,
I still feel that hiding my true self, and not sharing it with the world is
downplaying the reason why I have been given this gift of breath in my lungs and
blood in my veins. Thinking about some of the milestones I have been
grateful enough to experience, I am convinced life is something to
celebrate. Events such as my first breath, my first steps, seeing
many sunrises and sunsets are only a fraction of the true marvels that I have
yet to behold.
I have never been alone
on my travels on this big blue ball. I have been grateful to have loving
friends and family to support me over the years while also realizing I have had
myself, another friend and close family member close by. Realizing I have
been given these gifts by Someone greater than all of them combined I realize I
have a purpose to my life outside of my own daily routines. Thinking about
the calf, I realized that it was placed on this earth more than to take up air,
eat up grass, and then become hamburger. Somehow, I feel that I am here
for more than taking in air, eating the world’s food, taking up space, and using
the world’s resources for my own gain. I have been placed on this earth to
give life. That’s what that calf did with his life…. He gave it away to
give life to another. Yet, also looking at the calf’s life, I realize that
it’s life was taken from it. Many people feel that their lives are taken
from them every day when they are traded and sold like cattle for the purposes
of personal pleasure and financial gain. People living under these
emotional, physical and spiritual chains need to experience living again… being
born again… living life as if their past was erased and a new life yet to be
written was before them. That is why I believe so highly in the
power of grace and redemption. By becoming a ‘friend’ to myself I
feel I can become a better friend to others even if I have never met them
before. Join me in celebrating life on this birthday by being a friend to
yourself while being a friend to someone else.
To hear stories of others who have become
friends to themselves and others through the power of grace and redemption go
to: www.ratanak.org
always think of myself as a friend to myself, yet I feel that I should.
Why? Well, the celebration of a life into the world is an amazing
event an event worth being shared and not hidden. Growing up on a farm I
remember being brought out into our family’s big red barn to catch a glimpse of
a calf making its debut on this big blue rotating ball called earth. This
event was far from dignified or pristine as the calf came out slimy, shivering,
and wobbly. As the mother ate the afterbirth the calf attempted to make
its first few steps by gaining enough strength to stand up to fall back down
again. Watching a little further the calf was eventually able to walk on
its own. After viewing this magnificent event I would quickly come home to
share the news with my family
I don’t
usually make a big deal of my birthday as I play it down not wanting to feel
like I’m the center of attention. After many birthdays have come and gone,
I still feel that hiding my true self, and not sharing it with the world is
downplaying the reason why I have been given this gift of breath in my lungs and
blood in my veins. Thinking about some of the milestones I have been
grateful enough to experience, I am convinced life is something to
celebrate. Events such as my first breath, my first steps, seeing
many sunrises and sunsets are only a fraction of the true marvels that I have
yet to behold.
I have never been alone
on my travels on this big blue ball. I have been grateful to have loving
friends and family to support me over the years while also realizing I have had
myself, another friend and close family member close by. Realizing I have
been given these gifts by Someone greater than all of them combined I realize I
have a purpose to my life outside of my own daily routines. Thinking about
the calf, I realized that it was placed on this earth more than to take up air,
eat up grass, and then become hamburger. Somehow, I feel that I am here
for more than taking in air, eating the world’s food, taking up space, and using
the world’s resources for my own gain. I have been placed on this earth to
give life. That’s what that calf did with his life…. He gave it away to
give life to another. Yet, also looking at the calf’s life, I realize that
it’s life was taken from it. Many people feel that their lives are taken
from them every day when they are traded and sold like cattle for the purposes
of personal pleasure and financial gain. People living under these
emotional, physical and spiritual chains need to experience living again… being
born again… living life as if their past was erased and a new life yet to be
written was before them. That is why I believe so highly in the
power of grace and redemption. By becoming a ‘friend’ to myself I
feel I can become a better friend to others even if I have never met them
before. Join me in celebrating life on this birthday by being a friend to
yourself while being a friend to someone else.
To hear stories of others who have become
friends to themselves and others through the power of grace and redemption go
to: www.ratanak.org
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