Birthdays are a good reminder of what God has given us. It is always good to be grateful for one’s blessings and accomplishments.
Birthdays are time to be grateful to God for our very existence. There is something special about the day we were born because we come to this planet for a specific purpose. So, in birthdays we celebrate our purpose – the reason why we live on the earth and God’s timing.
Birthdays are also a good time to restart our lives as we reflect on who we are, what we have been given, the disparity between what we have accomplished and what we can accomplish, therefore how efficiently we spend our time. It is a time to reflect on how we can strengthen the thread that connects our outer life and our inner life, what we plan to achieve, and if our lifestyle distracts us from our higher calling or draws us closer to it.
Our birthdays are a celebration of the gift of life, given to us by God. God has given each of us the gift of life! It is very easy to forget that. We become so involved with our trials and tribulations that we forget who we are and why we are here. Birthdays must be viewed as a refresher, a new beginning, a chance for regeneration – both materially and spiritually.
The value of life is measured not by how much we receive from others but how much we give through serving. So, today as I celebrate my forty second birthday, I also appreciate the grace that has been bestowed on me to pour out myself to others, reaching out, sharing, connecting and being a blessing to people, both far and near.
Every day, every year is an opportunity that must be explored. For me, everyday I live is an opportunity to serve God and people by using the abilities and resources I was born with to perfect myself and society, and to make the world a better place. Such is a life that praises God and not self. Such is a life that fulfills God’s plan.
A great factor in living a meaningful life is our lifestyle. The verbal and non verbal components of our lifestyles are an influence to people, therefore we must be determined to maximize the life that has been given to us. We must improve on our lives daily by daily running the race that is set before us on all fronts. The beauty and understanding of life emerge as we serve both God and others.
Life on earth is a limitless resource, similar to the endless potential contained in a seed. It’s up to us what we make of it. We should profoundly critique our lives in order to live a meaningful life and leave a lasting mark on history. This will help us live our dreams, making our lives more meaningful and ourselves open to many great things in our own life and in the world.
Our life must be a life of thanksgiving and that thanksgiving should be practical. We give thanks to God in words and through service; willingly doing acts of goodness as a sign of our gratitude for being born and alive. Such a life gives God great joy and pleasure, because He sees us fully realizing the potential He has invested in us.
So, I continuously pour myself out to my disciples and followers. I continue to choose to be a blessing, living a meaningful life, by cherishing all the people and all the moments in my life. I continue to major on the main values of life and minimize negative influences, thoughts and emotions.
I’m still learning to live (life is a comprehensive school) and I pray the giver of life will continue to guide and lead me. I pray that His strong hand will hold me and see me through until I see him face to face. Oh what a glorious day that will be! What a great moment! It’s when I get there that I will see that all my labor, pain, and delayed gratification were not in vain.
Life is not complete without the precious, great people that surround us. I can’t finish this piece without appreciating the great people in my life that make my life great, meaningful people that make my life meaningful and precious people that make it precious.
My first salute goes to my parents; I’m blessed to still have both of them alive in such a ‘challenging’ country like Nigeria. I thank God for giving me my parents and for the hard work they did to instill faith and godly values in me. I pray that I will spring off from my parents’ example and do a greater work in my children and that they would have the right concept of God.
Secondly, I want to thank God for my siblings and close relatives. I truly appreciate them. These are the people I grew up with, they knew me from my early years and they have never turned their back on me. There were different difficult moments that even left some scars (that don’t hurt any longer), but they believed in and still believe in me. I’m convinced I wouldn’t be the person I am today without their contribution.
Thirdly, I want to thank God for all my former and present class mates, school mates, roommates, colleagues, friends and neighbors. Thank you all for accepting, loving and challenging me. Thank you for wonderful relationships.
Fourthly, I want to thank all the members, partners, friends and well-wishers of our great church, The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for all Nations. You have a part in me. I promise to continue to serve you relentlessly according to the power of God that works through me. I appreciate all your care, prayers and honor. Thank you.
Lastly, I want to thank God for my unique nuclear family; for my daughters – Zoe and Pearl, my only biological son – Perez, and the only matchless husband of my youth – Pastor Sunday Adelaja. Thank you all for the joy of belonging and of living together. Thank you all for all the seasons of life we go through together as a family. You are all God sent to my life. I appreciate your understanding of my weaknesses and for always covering me. Thank you for always being there for me and allowing God to minister to me through you. You are also my ministry and I’m happy to serve you all as long as God permits.
In conclusion, life goes on and I continue to work on myself to become a better person, to serve my generation more effectively and to leave a mark and legacy through the power of Christ that strengthens me.
I’m happy to be alive! I’m happy to know Christ! I’m happy to serve!
I’m happy to have more than forty years’ worth of wealth of experience!
To God alone be all the glory!
Yours sincerely,
Pastor Bose Dere-Adelaja
