Today we celebrate our Kaley’s eleventh birthday. She officially begins her second decade tomorrow, but since her birth, life has not been the same. God’s blessings are like that. They serve to remind us of His provision, His love, and His mercy in this mortal life. In the past ten years we have rejoiced to see her grow strong in body, mind, and spirit, and she is a delight to those who are prevailed to know her.
Her mom and I were reflecting the other day about her end-of-year achievements in school, and we mentioned that she never has an unkind word about anyone, she is always a willing helper, often taking the initiative to make things better for others, and that she has a kindness about her that is more valuable than A’s or concert performances, or other marks of her admirable abilities. She is a genuine people person, and God will use her mightily.
When the family gathers today, I will be blessed beyond measure. As octogenarians, we had no reason to suggest our long lives together were a given, and yet God has blessed us with relatively good health and the blessing of living near our children and grandchildren. Our Kaley and Emily have known both sets of grandparents, and Kaley and Emily have known, loved, and remember their great grandmother, Grace Boushell. What a blessing. Neither Ev nor I knew all these generations, although I knew both my great grandmothers on my father’s side. I had no contact with my mother’s family except brief encounters.
Although we probably won’t know our great grandchildren, since we started our family in our forties, we are blessed by this wonderful period and treasure every opportunity to celebrate. Paul and Mary mark their seventeenth wedding anniversary next week, and we bless them for the way they are growing up their children in the honor of our Lord. And our Nancy is a delightful blessing to us and everyone who knows her.
And so, as we count our blessings today with a family gathering to honor our Kaley entering one of the most consequential decades of her life, we look forward to her big decisions, her musical and artistic endeavors, her middle and high school years, and her college choice. Lots of firsts ahead, and if I’m right, she’s ready to continue to meet every challenge with her enthusiastic panache she’s already established as part of her character. May God continue to bless her and those she loves.
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