One of the days I look forward to with excitement is my birthday. And guess what I do every year on my birthday? … nothing! ?

My expectations and the greatest source of my excitement for every 18th February is that friends and family would send goodwill messages and I truly love reading them.

Two years ago, I had an overwhelming experience of people sending beautiful birthday messages. Naive me, I thought it was because I’d just started ‘Talk with Grace Obomanu’ and my influence had grown, nope, I was wrong. Facebook like other social media platforms, creates an avenue for everyone to feel special on their birthday. Good job!

The next year, 2017, wasn’t any different. The calls and messages start trickling in from midnight like people are on some night watch. Amazing!
Thought you heard me say I looked forward to this day? Yep! but not in the dimension the social media platforms bring it.

So for 2018, I was proactive. As friends started at least a month before February 18 reminding me of my upcoming birthday, I seized same opportunity to beg them that I wanted it quiet. No long loving note from my author husband, no pictures on my wall thanking God for adding another year to my age. Just wanted calmness all around and it came that way….mostly.

What changed, you ask? deep concerns…
1. The thought of sending out personalized responses to every message like I’d love to was scary.
2. Spending the entire day on my phone answering calls or typing responses to lovely messages from friends and family……..absolutely distressing love! ?.

Will you send me a birthday message next year? ☺. I hope so. Looking forward to reading and responding to all of them.

In spite of all my worries and concerns, there were a few special messages I looked forward to and prayed they’d come. So it was not an entirely boring day as you may be thinking,  nope I had expectations. Just not the usual thing.

I’d prayed for a specific number of persons to call, text or message (without being reminded or coerced) stating tangible ways I’d impacted their lives ?.

It was a very quiet day for me, …this could go any way, I thought. Would be shocked, disappointed and sad at the end of the day or would I be overjoyed? Should I have set any targets at all? What if the feedback I expected didn’t come? Have I set myself up for a big surprise?

As the hours passed, I had my phone in one hand and a jotter and pen in the other. One, two, three, ..seven….ten…., the numbers kept going up and didn’t stop until my target was reached. Wow!
Praise God.

I was thankful. This was a most fulfilling birthday experience. And you know the most exciting part? These messages that added up to my target actually came from people who I’d gone out of my way to show love at one point or the other through an act or gesture.

You know what I am going to do next year? Set a higher target. And that means I must increase my investment into others in the next 10 months.

I sign off most of my articles and sometimes text messages, with ‘love always’ and I really mean that. It’s ‘love always’ because you do not need a reason to love, otherwise it won’t be agape anymore.

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”.
Luke 6:27 NKJV.

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth”.
I John 3:18 NKJV.

Love is not just words.
Love is not hidden.
Love is not just thoughts
Love is what you do.