Year of Jubilee

April 2, 2008, 2:30 pm; posted by
Filed under Articles, Connie, Featured  | 1 Comment

“Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you . . .” — Leviticus 25:10

Last Friday was my birthday, and not just any birthday — my year of jubilee. It\’s a gift God gave to the Israelites: a Sabbath of Sabbaths. It restored lands and other property to people, so that once in a lifetime they\’d have a chance to start over, perhaps retire, without overwhelming debt and despair. Unfortunately, greed and other factors prevented anyone from actually ever experiencing Jubilee, except on some weird old Star Trek episode once. The gift was offered but never received.

A few years ago I began to notice that the weather on my birthday was unseasonably beautiful, and I found myself thanking God each year for the extra birthday gift. It would be sunny and 50-60 with unusual warm breezes, I\’d be grabbing a coffee, and the clerk would say, “What a great day, huh?” I\’d reply, “Oh you\’re welcome. It was just a little birthday gift from God for me today.”

My daughter has a sweet friend who challenges me on this point every year and he “wrote on my wall” last Friday, pointing out that the weather was not up to its usual standard. Boy, he was right about that.

But as I passed by a window first thing that morning, knowing that the weather forecast wasn\’t backing up my usual claims, and wishing I\’d kept my extra birthday gift secret — just between me and God — suddenly, He took my breath away. The tree branches were lined perfectly with an overnight snow that was so beautiful, I didn\’t even mind that it wasn\’t 50. We stepped outside to a sunny morning where everything was sparkling so brilliantly that I couldn\’t begin to ask for a different gift. He did it just right. And I took it, and loved it.

Thank you, Father. Bring on my Jubilee.


Comments

1 Comment to “Year of Jubilee”

  1. Connie on April 3rd, 2008 1:29 pm

    I have to comment just to say the spam word was blizzard. Is that a coincidence or does God have a sense of humor?

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