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Message from Pastor Matthew Poock

Growing in Gratitude

By Pastor Matthew Poock

It happens to each of us every year. We can’t avoid this annual event. Sometimes we like it, sometimes we don’t. One year it turns out great, and other years it may flop.

I’m not talking about a routine dentist appointment, although some people may dread this day just as much. Nor is it April 15, “Tax Day,” though surely it can land on that date. And some people approach the day with as much joy as receiving a big refund check from the government.

One day out of our year feels different to us than any other day. One day is forever special. You’ve probably guessed it by now. The day is your birthday.

We all have a birthday, whether we’re rich or poor, young or old, male or female. I suppose it’s one thing that unites all people on earth — we were born human. After that, however, our birthdays take off in various directions depending on what month and day, how young/old we are, and how we celebrate, or if we celebrate.

Spring for my family means a whole slew of birthdays to celebrate, across three generations. So every April, and periodically throughout the year, my family does our best to get everyone together to mark these special occasions, for children and adults alike.

Our St. Paul staff does the same. Each month we coordinate our calendars and choose a Wednesday to enjoy food and friendship in honor of those gaining a year of wisdom. Other than the honorees selecting the restaurant of their choice, we don’t make a big fuss over them, but always wish them well. It would be a lost opportunity not to do so.

When you’re young, celebrating birthdays is essential because the years and the numbers matter greatly. Birthdays at early ages denote important life transitions like starting school, growing independence, and being able to stay home alone. The increase from age nine to age 10 adds a whole digit to your life. A few years later means PG-13, and next comes a driver’s instruction permit. Soon to follow is sweet 16, official adulthood, college and/or job, a new decade, the responsibilities of 21, and hassle-free
car rental at age 25. Celebrating birthdays helps us to take stock of all the life changes that occur during these young years.

For many adults, there comes a time when celebrating our birthday falls out of fashion, at least to some extent, and for a variety of reasons. After all, how much different is 33 than 32, or 68 than 67? The significance of the number fades. Some people neglect their birthday because they don’t like holding the center of attention. For other people, birthdays conjure up bad memories and remind them of unmet expectations. Whether we fear death or just simply enjoy life, another year to our age can indicate the waning years that remain and leave us down in the dumps.

No matter your age, I am convinced that birthdays are an occasion for celebration and not to be overlooked. Nothing extravagant is necessary, but appreciation nonetheless.

Birthdays are a day for gratitude. This one day of the year can stand as a reminder to give thanks to God for who you are and for whatever good that God has made possible in your life. Kind of like a personal day of thanksgiving for God’s creation in you, around you, and through you. On this of all days, we can put aside our self-criticism and stop focusing on what it is that we might lack. Our eyes turn instead not to ourselves, but to our Creator and our Guide. And our hearts just might grow in gratitude for the gift of life.

If this isn’t enough reason for you to celebrate your birthday, then do it for the people around you. You see, other people need your birthday, too. It reminds them to thank God for you. Birthdays help us to recognize each other as gifts of God. Then, for all of us, perhaps the practice of “birthday gratitude” will spread into the other 364 days of our years.

Pastor Matthew Poock,

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