It's My Birthday... So What?

The following post was submitted by Brad Allen, a Downtowner and our Building Super for the Spot on Blanding. You can meet him on the "Crew" page. My name is Brad Allen and today is my Birthday. I know what you're thinking. Congrats. But don't congratulate me; 28 years ago today, I had a pretty easy day. Traumatic? Yes. Painful? Probably. But I didn't do any of the work, my mom did. Congratulate her, I was a big boy.

I think all too often, as most Americans do, we get caught up in the idea of something without really celebrating the actual event or giving credit where credit is due. Take for instance Christmas. Do you know Christmas decorations are already, or will be shortly, in stores? Yeah, ornaments, little Santas, fake Christmas trees and those tassel things that you hang on your tree and can never get out of your carpet. Why do you think Christmas is the busiest time of the year in sales? Because people are buying stuff for God to lay on the altar? No, we’re buying stuff to tell each other we love them and cherish them.

What did I do on the 25th of December to deserve boxers, t-shirts and a stereo? Nothing! But what did God do? I think we all know that story, but what are we doing to tell God, “Thanks!”? Are we living our lives the way He wants us to? Are we living our lives the way He has asked us to? Again, today is my Birthday, but I didn't do anything to deserve it. Just like the 25th of December. I am glad those two days happened, and I am going to live my life to make sure those pains weren’t in vain.