Leaning Forward: Thank you, Esther...

King David wrote, "Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts" (Psalm 90:12). So, since I'm downloading iOS 64 today, I decided to do the math and give this accounting of my days.

Birth date: 27 October, 1949
Today I am 23375 days old. Which is 3339 weeks and 2 days. That's 64 years, including 16 leap years,or 63 years, 52 weeks and 0 days. In other words, that's 768.03 months. Therefore, I am 64 years old. I was born on a Thursday.

Pretty slick, right. Before you marvel at iOS 64, let me confess that this fancy math is the product of a neat site that does the math for you. If you want to have some fun with your days, or amaze your friends with your counting skills, go here.

For most of my adult life I dedicated my birth day each you my mother, Esther Mae Owens Holmes. it was my joy each year to either send her a gift for the day, or take one to her in person. You see, I really didn't do anything on October 27, 1949, when it came my time to enter this world. No, they took her to what was ominously called the "labor room" and she did all the work so that I could make my entrance. Well, yes, there was a doctor and some nurses present, but young Esther Holmes endured the hours of excruciating pain and hard work so that I could have life.

That experience was a dark mystery to me until I was in the labor room with Harriet during the delivery os our son, Brian Eliot Holmes, December 17, 1977. Until then the labor room was off limits to the men folk and the idea of labor was a mysterious secret hidden form the male gender of our species. Later in history men started having kidney stones so we could approximate delivery. But, at any rate, when I saw Harriet struggle, and sweat, and push, and breath---when her headed spun around and in the devil voice she said, "This is your fault"---it struck me that this thing about the labor room was real. Since then, my birthday became about Esther Mae.

OK, thologue, I know God is the author of life and Jesus is the life. But, my mother, and yours too, went through an ordeal to give us life, and we should be forever grateful. So, for many years I gave my mother a small gift to honor her on that day. When she entered eternity in 2008 this gratitude became a memory. So, today, I'm thanking God for the woman who suffered much so that I could enjoy the blessings of this life.

Why don't you reverse things on your birthday too. Give your mom a call or a note to thank her for the gift of life.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Thank you, Esther for life.