THANKFUL BIRTHDAY

THANKFUL BIRTHDAY

by Jake MacAulay

Today is my birthday.  Which got me to thinking about, well… my birth.

It just so happens that I was born a white male.  I didn’t have any choice in the matter.  I also didn’t have any say in the place or the time of my birth.  Come to think of it, I didn’t get to choose my hair color or my facial features, either.  If I could’ve chosen my looks I certainly could have been a little more careful. 

But I didn’t get to choose these things.  And they are things that I cannot alter.

Not only can’t I change these things for myself, but I can’t change them for you either.  And you can’t change them for me.  From a biological standpoint, both you and I must accept and deal with the circumstances of our lives.

Here’s the good news.  As a Christian, I believe that these circumstances are special and particular gifts from my Creator.  They are part of His perfect and divine plan for me as a part of His creation.

In my job as a county councilman, I frequently encounter people who are unhappy with their circumstances and want somebody (like the government) to do something about it.

The fact is that much of what people want from the local or national government is not something that the government is authorized to do, or, in some cases, even able to do.

Government can’t change your genes, it can’t change your skin color, and it can’t make you good looking.  And it can’t give you anything without taking it away from someone else.

One thing we all can change however, is our attitude about our circumstances.

So at least today, on my birthday, and hopefully beyond, I want to thank God for the blessings as well as the trials, because the trials are blessings, too.

This is MAP for YCM.