David would have been 32 years old on November 2nd. He loved his birthday. He loved the cake, the cards in the mail, the presents, and the celebration. But the thing he loved the most was giving love back to all the people who came to celebrate his life. People would come to give but leave with so much more. They left feeling appreciated and special. They left being grateful for the privilege of calling David their friend. They left knowing they were loved by God and by him. So it goes without saying David is greatly missed.
One year my mom threw David a “Non-Birthday” Birthday party. We were living in Poland and she was not able to celebrate 
with us on his actual birthday in November so she had a party for him when we were home in the summer. When asked, “What do you want for your birthday,” he would always say, “MONEY!” Every gift he was given included a one-dollar bill. He was in heaven. You would have thought he was unwrapping a $500 bill each time he discovered a new dollar bill. One dollar brought so much joy!
I wonder if we could replicate David’s joy with just a dollar or less? Can you think of someone who needs to be reminded they are not alone and loved by sending them a $1.00 card from the Dollar General? Maybe there is someone behind you in your car in the drive-through at McDonald’s who you could surprise and make feel special by paying for a $1.00 hamburger or fries? Or maybe it doesn’t have to cost you a penny! I just tried a totally free online postcard maker and it was easy to set up and use. The picture at the top of this post is a postcard I made using the program. Check it out at www.canva.com!
I hope you join me in celebrating David’s birthday by reaching out to someone who needs to be reminded they are not alone, what they do matters, and that God and their community loves them. For $1.00 you could make them feel like $500!
Happy Birthday, David!