A Birthday Ditty for my Jesus

We love birthdays around our house. We party big. We talk love. During birthday dinners, we always go around the table and share what we love about that person. For Christmas this year, I decided to do that in poem form for Jesus. I read it out loud at our Christmas meal and cried – just like I cry at every birthday. In fact, our littlest runs to get a box of tissues before I even start speaking about the things I love. I don’t know why I can’t keep it together, it is what it is.

So here is my poem for Jesus. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Lord.

It’s so different than it used to be,

this love that fills my heart

This sense of joy and connection

from which I never want to part.

 

Religion was once a boring pursuit

A duty to gravely tend to

One I soon easily abandoned

When I couldn’t measure up to you.

 

Like a little kid tired of the rules

I filled my backpack and hit the road

I did what I wanted, oh what I wanted

Those nasty rules did I unload

 

I’m not sure I saw it coming

The traps the enemy carefully laid for me

Trying to get me caught in addiction

to love, to attention, to me.

 

Nothing was ever enough

as I pursued value everywhere else

Looking for the world to tell me good

until I came to the end of myself

 

You were there, as you’d been all along

And you invited me to know you

You brought joyful people and passionate believers

Who lived the love they knew

 

They pointed me to your character

Your mercy, love and grace

They showed me your sense of humor

The smile on your face

 

They introduced me to your son

The one I’d thought was bound in rules

And I found a faithful friend and brother

Whose heart for people was his fuel.

 

You showed me your plan for life

To protect and free and guide

You showed me the love you live

By filling me up from the inside.

 

And as I’ve come to know your love

The grandest adventures you’ve brought my way

Fun people and joys, amazing pursuits

Beauty to capture every single day.

 

And there’s been heartaches, there’s been hurt

Pain that took my breath away

But instead of blaming you and yours

I fell into your arms to hear you say:

 

I’ve got you and I’ll never let you go

This world is broken, it’s true

But that’s why I sent my son

To bring hope, life and joy to you.

 

Comfort in the moment,

along with eternity in my sight

Just hold fast and let me see you through

Every wrong will I make right

 

And now I can see how you changed it

Changed it all by coming to earth

Entering into the most broken of places

to show us your love and our worth

 

You paved the way, you gave it all

to give us a home in your heart

And all we had to do was say yes

And believe in this beautiful new start.

 

It was never about the religion

The pious pinched and proud

It was always about you living love

thoroughly, completely, out loud.

 

So thank you for coming down to this earth

My beautiful savior and joy

Thank you for showing me your goodness

As you came to earth as baby boy.

 

Happy Birthday, my savior

My king, friend and best Christmas gift

May you hear the praises of many

And may this poem your heart lift

 

Because as I think of gifts to give

tor family, friends and guests

It’s you I want to thank the most

It’s your gift I want to be the best.

 

Because I love you more than life itself

I love you with tears, can’t see

I love you with all that I am…

Because, beautiful God, you first loved me