Birthday in Heaven.
Deral's birthday just past. He would have been twelve. Leading up to his birthday we discussed what our family was going to do to celebrate such a monumental day. I started planning a party for him. I wanted cake, and food, decorations, and even balloons to release to heaven, tagged with special memories. A couple days before, I cancelled the party. I just couldn't have a birthday party for a child who isn't here. Having a cake, cooking food, and blowing up balloons seemed just awful. It didn't feel right.
I started thinking about birthdays in heaven. At first I thought, celebrating a birthday with Jesus would be incredible. I imagined the decor, the party, the music, it was stunning, in my minds eye. I created this image of pure joy. I delighted in the fact that my son's twelfth birthday would be incredible, completely indescribable, as is everything in Heaven.
Then it hit me. Heaven doesn't celebrate birthdays. The Lord tells us that we should weep when a child is born to the earth and celebrate when a person leaves. There would be no celebration in Heaven for the day my son entered this world. Oddly, I find peace in that realization.
Birthdays celebrate each year we are in this world. We do this in honor of the fact that we made it, one more year. We survived this place yet another year. It is a celebration here. We are thankful and grateful to spend each day with our loved one and celebrate the joy we have for that blessing. We enjoy food and cake. We have balloons and gifts, all to pay respect to the fierce fight we have battled one more year. We gather to remember the day our person entered this world and graced us with their amazing spirit. We honor our children, on their special day, to give them acknowledgment of our complete adoration of them. We celebrate the blessings they have brought into our lives.
My momma heart wants to celebrate the day I was blessed with the most amazing creation, but my Christian heart knows, I should be celebrating the day my son entered those pearly gates. The truest time of celebration is when my son no longer had to fight the battles of this world.
There are no birthday celebrations in Heaven. Jesus celebrates everyday, for eternity with all of his children. The celebration is not for the day a beautiful soul entered the world, but for the fact that the battle was won.
I will no longer celebrate Deral's birthday for him. I will celebrate the impact he made on me. I will honor him every year on the day he made me a mommy. I will count the minutes I had with my son and relish in the fact that he completed his purpose. I will celebrate every day, the imprint he left on this world. I will honor his life and find joy in the completion of his time on earth. Instead of imagining his birthday in Heaven, I will imagine the day he got there. I will picture the moment when Deral met Jesus. I will imagine the moment Jesus spoke the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." I will cheer for the gift of salvation. I will find comfort in the promises from our Lord.
Deral did not celebrate his birthday with Jesus. Deral celebrates every day with our good, good Father. He sits on the right hand of God. He is cherished, he is loved, and he is honored for his good work.