Honoring Jesus

…and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

It’s a way of life in the charismatic community I belong to honor someone who’s celebrating his or her birthday.  So, today, it is only appropriate to enumerate some things, there are countless matters, to which I want to honor and thank the Lord Jesus Christ. So here it goes…

• I honor you for your presence. Everyday I pray that you may  be with us, to our family. I know, it won’t be easy being with us. We are stubborn and we succumb to wrongdoings. Yet, I always felt your presence kept us together with you and together with one another. Truly “God is with us”.
• I thank you for sustaining us for the past three years we have been living in the United States. Talking about being in the right place in the wrong time. Recession hits the US, recession hits us. By your providence and the grace to believe in your promises, we are doing well. Our family have been tight knit. We do things together. We go to the same places together. We are always together. Being here gave us further the meaning of being a family.
• I honor you for keeping us in good health. My daughters have had some body issues but all were quickly passing. My wife still battles her back and bone problems but everything is manageable. And me? The doctor said I am in perfect shape.
• I thank you for sustaining our hearts and passion to serve you. Thank you for bringing to us brothers and sisters to whom we receive and give love and support. Our group is not perfect and we are still growing, which is great, for these are definitions of a community. I thank you for giving our daughters the desire to serve you as altar servers. I thank you for the service my wife is rendering to us and other people. I thank you for opening doors for me to help out in the inner city missions in our county.
• I honor you for providing for the company I work for. We broke even this year, in the middle of a challenging economy, as reported by our managers. This is good news. It means we can look forward to the new year with stability for my family.
• I praise you for keeping my family back home and my brother in UK and my sister in Singapore safe and sound. I honor you for the distance we have with one another gave us the closeness we never had when we were accessible to one another. Hello Skype and Facebook! Thank you Jesus!
• You have given me this writing ministry. I honor you for waking up the writer in me. I knew I had it when  I was in high school and college, yet you work in wondrous ways, after all the years the gift you gave is still lethal and effective. It does not age, for you do not. It does not change, for you do not. With this gift, you and I can reach the world in places I will never be for your glory. I honor you!
• The past year was not without challenges and difficulties. The death of my mother in law, the renewal of my working visa, the audit of my labor certification, the decision to stick with our brothers and sisters in community traveling a total of six hours to be with them are just some. When these issues stole our focus you were quick to bring us back. When the waves are too strong for us, you calmed us more than you calmed the waves. Thank you for your ever available strength in times of distress.
• Thank you for friends. Physical or virtual friends you have given us are precious. We find other angles with them. We find other views from them. You know whom to give us and you know whom to be with us. Thanks Jesus!
• And lastly, Lord Jesus, I honor and thank you for bearing with me. For being patient with me. Your love I don’t deserve yet you give it unconditionally.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! (Romans 11:33). Thank you for kicking in the inspiration in me. I thought you would run out but not. Daily I sought you and daily you find me. Daily I reflected in your words, daily you reveal yourself. Daily I prayed and daily you answered.

Happy Birthday Jesus! Honor and thanks to you alone!