Birthdays are a big deal because people are a big deal.

The Best Birthday: Receiving God’s Gift of Love

Posted on by Michele Morin

Every Sunday morning, we sing and celebrate the birthdays:  the toddler clutching three sweaty pennies for the bank, representing his three years of life; the grandfather who contributes a dollar to the bank and jokes about not needing much change. Birthdays are a big deal because people are a big deal to God. So we sing:

“Happy birthday to you,
Only one will not do.
Born again means salvation.
How many have YOU?”

Together, we celebrate birth and new birth–the beginnings that bring us together.

Meadow Rue Merrill has become a celebration resource for young families with her seasonal invitations to Lantern Hill Farm. This time Molly and the family are gathered at Aunt Jenny’s place for a birthday party. Molly sings to Cousin Sammy and makes her own birthday candle wish for another birthday. 

The Best Birthday weaves a story around Aunt Jenny’s wise reply that God offers an “even better birthday,” reinforcing the message with a scavenger hunt that makes for fun reading, but also serves as inspiration for party-planning parents.

Best of all, Merrill’s story sets the stage for a discussion of John 1:12:

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

When we’re born into God’s family and receive the gift of his love for our very own, we have every reason to celebrate!

Next month, at my church home, the kids will be gathering in a Sunday School circle to listen to this story on Promotion Sunday. We’ll celebrate ALL the birthdays with a big cake, and come together around the truth that each of us is God’s special treasure, and birthdays are just one more opportunity to celebrate his love!

Many thanks to Hendrickson Publishers for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.

Thankful for my Best Birthday,

 

I  am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase The Best Birthday Hardcover Picture Book (Ages 4-7),simply click on the title within the text, and you’ll be taken directly to Amazon. If you decide to buy, I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Photo by Lidya Nada on Unsplash

Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

32 thoughts on “The Best Birthday: Receiving God’s Gift of Love”

  5. I loved this, Michele: “When we’re born into God’s family and receive the gift of his love for our very own, we have every reason to celebrate!” So true. Being born into God’s family is a good reason to celebrate every day!

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  6. The church I sttended in high school in college had a similar birthday song, except the last two lines were: “Take Christ as your Savior, And then you’ll have two.”

    I love this: “Birthdays are a big deal because people are a big deal to God.”

    This sounds like a great resource.

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  11. What a great way to celebrate Promotion Sunday, Michele! Your post brings reminds me of the book that helped my daughter Molly take those last few steps toward becoming part of God’s family when she was about six … “The Prayer that Makes God Smile” by Stormie Omartian. Children’s books are such a wonderful way to nurture spiritual growth in our kids, aren’t they?

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  13. You are one fun and inspirational Sunday School teacher, Michele! This is such a great way to remind ourselves and those we spiritually mentor to celebrate how much God loves each one of us! Thanks for sharing!

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