The
Musings 24
Tuesday,
February 5
Read:
1 Kings 17: 7-16
Celebrating ones birthday is something
very special. In this part of the world, birthday celebrations are done in the
most unique and wonderful ways. You have friends and families throwing in a
surprise party or you have families celebrating over dinner or movies and so
on. Some people do not like celebrating their birthday or even if they want to
be remembered on their birthday, it would be very casual observances or a
celebration that is turned into a low key affair. It is in such a context of
birthday celebrations, of Robyn Bomar became unique and different. Robyn Bomar
was Christian and she wanted to celebrate her birthday in a different way so
that it could create a change in the way people think about their birthdays and
how they celebrate theri birthdays and other milestones in life. When she was
thirty eight years old, she decided to celebrate her birthday with a
difference. What she decided to do was to do thirty eights random acts of
kindness, one for each year of her life.
Some of the actions out fo the thirty eight actions that she did was, to hand out balloon to kids who had come
shopping with their parents, to round up
carts that were lying in the store parking lot, feeding the parking meters at
parking lot, helping people in carrying their shopping basket and so on. Robyn wanted her actions to be private and did not want to publicize
the unique way that she had celebrated her birthday, but her husband Michel
convinced her to post it on her blog. This was not to brag about what Robyn did,
but on the contrary to share with people
so that they also could celebrate their birthdays with a difference. As her blog received huge response, she began
praying as to how to proceed with this idea. Nearly after a year of praying,
she felt God speaking to her and that is how The Birthday Project was born. The
whole concept of the birthday project is to celebrate life. However, this concept
of celebration is different. It is the celebration of one's life by pouring
into lives of others love, warmth or any act of kindness that will reflect
God's love that one has experienced in their life too. Thus through Birthday
Project people were encouraged to think about their life and the celebration of
their birthday in a different ways. The whole concept that Robyn wanted to stress through
this project was about giving to others, which is only a small gift when
compared to the gift of life that God has given to us. Now when Robyn looks look
back on her birthday project, she finds that that more and more people are
attracted to this project and they also want to celebrate their birthday's
differently. According to Robyn she was also recipients of others peoples
kindness and she felt that she also need to reciprocate it. Looking at the life
of Jesus Christ, Robyn states that Jesus always lived taking into consideration
the needs of others and she feels it is exciting to do and live life by at
least doing in small ways acts of kindness, just as the our Lord lived in his time. Here
is one woman who made a difference to the world because she dared to think an
event like celebration of her birthday in a different way. What is needed also
for all of us as we think about Robyn and her birthday project is that it is
not the celebrations that are to be emphasized but the differentness in our
celebrations that matters. The differentness that stresses the value of life
that God has given to us, share that wonderful gift of our life with others so
that they also experience that our life on this earth is blessed. In this way
we also show and our Christian witness and identity. Thus through differentness in such
celebrations, we are forced to look out rather than just focusing on us and
that should be our objective of our life.
In 1 Kings 17,
we find a very heartwarming incident between prophet Elijah and a widow. The
passage reflects on how Elijah brings a new perspective about life to a woman
who was on the verge of killing herself. This incident in the bible is very
familiar to all of us. Elijah has already experienced the providence of the
Lord at times of uncertainty. He has prophesied to King Ahab, the word of the
Lord that there will be no dew nor rain for the next few years. He is asked to
hide in the ravine of Kerith and the Lord feeds him through ravens and water
from the brooks. But the brook get dried
up and he goes to Zarapheth and that is where he a widow, who is gathering sticks.
Elijah requests her for some water and if possible, some bread to eat too. But
the widow dejectedly replies to Elijah that she would love to feed him but the
issue that she is facing is that she has only a little flour in her home and
some oil in the jug. Moreover she tells Elijah that she is actually gathering
the sticks so that she can cook a small meal for her and her son and once she
has eaten, she is getting ready to die. That is when Elijah reassures her that
tells her not to be afraid and on the contrary, he tells her that she is
supposed to bake cake of bread for him first and then make something for
herself and her son. Elijah also promises her that when she does that, her jar
of flour nor oil will ever dry up. The widow does as she has been instructed and
just as Elijah promised, her jar of flour nor oil dries up. Here is Elijah
helping the widow to look at life in a different perspective. She was always
looking and focus sin on her troubles, her crisis and her suffering in life.
But Elijah teaches her that even when
life is tough and even one goes through crisis one needs to look out, focusing
on the needs of others. Focusing on others, so that we are able to do little
acts of kindness even when things are not going as planned in our life. Many of
us think that we will reciprocate to others with acts of kindness when our life
is secure and happy. But that is not what God want to teach us through Elijah.
Even in our limitations, even in our handicaps and suffering, our focus should
be outward and not inward. It is this perspective that leads to a life of fulfillment
just like the widow at Zarapheth experienced. When she focused on others rather
than focusing on her needs and crisis, she
found a fulfillment in her life and solution to all her crisis. What God expects
us is to live a life where life is perceived only by looking at our happiness, our comforts or our sorrows, but a deliberate
effort and decision to look to others, to be blessing in others life, though it
could be even through random acts of kindness. It was a random act of kindness
of Robyn Bomar that saw lives of countless number people getting changed. We
could also be another Robyn in making by
consciously deciding to live life, and celebrate life with a difference.
