The Birthday Girl and Ray's Riptide

My family celebrated my sweet niece Abigail’s 9th birthday at a water park over the summer. It was a family party. Picnics and watersides. Sunblock and inner tubes. Praise and worship. Yes, praise and worship. I’ll get to that is a minute, but let me tell you about Abi. She really is amazing. Of course I am her aunt, so maybe, possibly, I’m a bit biased. Her parents, my sister and brother in law, gave her a choice of parties. And she chose to spend it with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers. No other kids her age. But I know she loves being the center of attention and we give her plenty of it. See, Abi is the only girl. She is the center of everybody’s attention. Even when she has her moments. And she has a few. But that’s ok. During her party, she wants individual time with every single one of her guests. Abi wants to hold hands and ride water slides called Ray’s Riptide. Ray’s Riptide. This tia right here, well I’m not too sure about that. But I don’t want to disappoint her, so I quickly figure out the odds in my head. Let’s see, two cousins, two brothers, her other tia, uncle, her mom, dad….ok. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll get tired by the time it’s my turn.

“Jenny! Jenny!” My sister is calling me out of my mental odds making. “When should we bring out the cake?” I hear an instrumental song in the background on the loud speaker. I recognize it. We sing it in church. “Who rules the nations with truth and justice; shines like the sun, in all its brilliance. The King of Glory, the King above all kings.”

My brain is everywhere. My sister. The cake. Ways to get everyone else to ride the Riptide with Abi. Now this song. I tell her, later. Let’s play for awhile. She agrees.

As the music is playing, I think of Abi and how she wants to hold hands and have that one on one time together. Jesus is like that too. He has his hand out, all the time, wanting to spend time together through prayer, reading our bible, or worship. He is holding our hand when we go through the riptides of life.

My son catches my eye. We smile at each other because we’re thinking the same thing. Songs of praise to our God in a place not expected. But it’s not surprising. Every single one of us here celebrating with Abi are followers of Jesus Christ. Here, playing in the sun, enjoying ourselves, celebrating, with this song as our soundtrack for the day.

“This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love. That You would take my place. That you would bear my cross. You lay down Your life, that I would be set free. Oh Jesus, I sing for all that You’ve done for me!”

I have so much to be thankful for. We sing the birthday song to Abigail and she soaks up the love and attention. I think back to the lyrics and mentally and quickly thank God for Abi, and for just being here, in this moment with the people I love and who love me. Abi walks towards me with a huge smile. My heart is full of love for this sweet girl. "Gigi," her nickname for me. Looking at me lovingly, "Ready for ray's riptide??" Yikes!!