Ruthie’s birthday was such a happy day from beginning to end! She was turning four years old, and Mother had planned a birthday party for her—the first real birthday party she had ever had.
Eight little friends arrived, all dressed in their best clothes and with big smiles on their faces. They played games, sang songs and just had a wonderful time.
Later on there were presents for Ruthie to open. Before they all went home, Mother served ice cream, chocolate milk and a big cake with four lighted candles on it. When the children saw the cake they sang “Happy Birthday” to Ruthie.
“Did you have a nice birthday, Ruthie?” Mother asked as Ruthie was getting ready for bed that night.
“Oh yes, Mommy!” Ruthie answered. “I want to have another birthday again real soon.”
Mother laughed as she said, “You’ll have to wait another whole year for one, Ruthie.”
“When is Daddy coming home?” Ruthie asked. “I wanted him to be here for my birthday too.”
“I know you did, dear,” Mother answered, “and I know Daddy would like to have been here too. He didn’t want to take that business trip this week, but he had to. I’m sure he has been thinking about your birthday today and wishing that he could be here.”
Just then the telephone rang, and Mother ran downstairs to answer it. A couple of minutes later she called back up to Ruthie, “Somebody wants to talk to you on the phone.”
“Talk to me?” Ruthie asked as she ran down the stairs. “I wonder who wants to talk to me.”
“Hello? Daddy, it’s you!” she exclaimed.
There was Daddy talking to her, just as though he were right beside her instead of hundreds of miles away. Ruthie was so happy and excited that her voice just wouldn’t work right. It made funny little squeaky sounds when she tried to tell Daddy all about her birthday. After Daddy finally said, “good-bye,” Ruthie threw her arms around her mother’s neck and gave her two hugs—one for herself and one for Daddy.
As Ruthie was tucked into bed she felt happy all over because Daddy’s phone call had been a happy surprise to end a happy day. It had almost made it seem as if Daddy were home after all.
Boys and girls, there is Someone who loves you even more than your father and mother. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible tells us, “hereby perceive [know] we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.” 1 John 3:1616Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16).
Do you know that God loves to talk to us, too? He doesn’t talk to us on the telephone, He talks to us through a book He has written, the Bible. The whole Bible is filled with wonderful things God has to say to us. Let us not forget to take some time every day to read our Bibles, for in that way we will be listening to God’s voice.
ML-07/03/1983