The Longest Night

Birthdays are a big deal in this house! As Abby's birthday was approaching, her excitement was growing. She was talking about her party, what she wanted to get, what kind of party to have, who she was going to invite for weeks. It became too much for Jenna (who is highly competitive) and one night at supper she thanked God for the food and added,
"and please don't let Abby turn 7"!

On one hand it was pretty funny, but at the same time disturbing. I want our family to be happy and excited for each other when big things happen. And that's a tough one. Most adults do not know how to do that. Instead, we get jealous, bitter, and angry that it's not us.

I visited with Jenna and she understood that it wasn't right. She was just so tired of Abby talking about it all the time. Our selfish and prideful hearts just want all that attention and excitement to be about us!

Later that night after Abby went to bed, we started our traditional decorating. We put up streamers, balloons and signs. I make the ceremonial cinnamon rolls. I let Jenna, Grant and Annie stay up to help. Pretty soon Jenna got excited about making Abby's birthday special. She was taking charge of the sign and spreading decorations throughout the house and having so much fun that she forgot about her jealousy.

As I was tucking her into bed, she said, "I wonder what the longest night is: the night before Christmas, the night before your birthday or the night before vacation?" And I smiled because I knew she got it. She was happy for her sister!

Philippians 2:1-11
¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature^F5 God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature^F6 of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.