birthday joy!

a time to celebrate...

thursday i was driving around masi not exactly sure where to go. it was a rainy, windy day so not many people were around to hang out. i wasn't paying attention and i turned down the wrong street. i thought to myself, "dang it. i always turn down this wrong street." but then up ahead i see one of my favorite mamas walking down the street. i stop to give her a lift. we begin talking about our days when she tells me...

its her birthday! she then shows me her ID: September 1st 1961...IT'S HER 50th BIRTHDAY!

joy fills the car as we begin celebrating... and hooting & hollering :) the reality hits me. this is a BIG deal! so of course, off we go to the nearest store to get this mama something sweet for her happy day!

we get to the store and mama picks a chocolate cake. it was not quite in my budget, but YES! of course this mama needs a cake for her 50th birthday! as we take the cake up to the register we are calling out to anyone who will listen... "its HER 50th birthday!!!" and mama is showing everyone her cake with bursting happiness!

as we pull up to the area she lives, she is calling out from the car for her friends to come and join her for a cake and celebration. everyone is pumped to celebrate her! we then see two kids i am mentoring who are neighbors with mama. they insist that i come in for the party (even though i had an appointment soon, i joyfully agreed!) we go parading through the wetlands to mama's shack; singing, dancing, laughing, cheering, waving our jackets in the air like flags...it is time to CELEBRATE!

people begin pouring into the house, all the kids leading everyone in singing and dancing! they know how to party :)

oh i love these beautiful ones. i have helped those two kids i mentor start a kids club with their friends, who just happen to be all the little ones that came to the party. SO fun to get to share life with these sweet ones that i love so much!

my favorite part of the party was when mama asked me to take a pic cutting the cake with her...wedding style :)

she told me at one point that this was her first time in all her life to have a cake for her birthday. wow. i can't explain how honored i felt that the Lord would lead me to this mama on her special day. i had no idea what to do that afternoon, but the Lord knew. He loves this mama. she is His daughter. she has given her life so fully to Him these past few months, and He wanted to CELEBRATE HIS PRECIOUS ONE! what an honor to be able to help give this mama a gift from the Father on her birthday. i told her that very thing: that it was His idea for this celebration to unfold and it was His gift to her!

thanks Jesus for letting me be a part of that day and for making my life so sweet!

i am humbled.