The Day ‘Sweet’ Bumped into ‘Happy’

© 2014 by Karen Friday

Whether it’s a meeting by chance or meant to be; things, people, or events bumping into each other are often unforgettable.

Have you ever had a spine-jolting experience on bumper cars at the carnival? Strangers and friends relentlessly bump your car over and over and over? Pinning you in a corner and when you finally maneuver a turn around—bam! Bumped again.

What about the dance, the Bump? You ‘youngins’ won’t remember this dance fad from the 70’s, although you might have seen it. People bumping hips together to a disco song, arms flailing with each bump. Considerably big bumps are when a dance partner sends you flying across the room. Yes, like a football player or wrestler at a school dance—not how it’s supposed to be done.

“Fancy seeing you here!” Bumping into people you know or haven’t seen in a while.

Maybe a meeting by chance with people you don’t know, though you have a connection of some kind—‘it’s a small world’ bumps. Buggy bumps are when someone at the grocery store bumps into you with their buggy. If it hits a body part like your heel—the absolute worse!

It was a milestone birthday turning sweet sixteen. Sixteen candles…each representing a year of life. I was sixteen and presumably sweet. Perhaps it’s the turning sixteen part that’s sweet. Regardless, my sixteenth year on this earth has sweet memories. Living in a small Virginia town, my tenth grade year in high school, and getting a driver’s license—sweet! My Grandmother Clarkston’s lemon pie was not only over-the-top sweet, but my absolute favorite dessert to this day! It satisfies the hardest-to-please sweet tooth.

The sweetest memory—a meeting meant to be—took place at a small-town church revival. We don’t hear about revivals much in present days. Special church services usually lasting three or more nights with a guest speaker or evangelist. I had attended the service for several nights. The third night, the evangelist explained the gospel message of Jesus Christ…his coming to earth to be a sacrifice…an atonement for my sins. He loved me so much, he died on a cross. Christ longed to be my savior and my Lord.

“For God so loved the world (me and you,) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV 

I became a Christ follower. An unforgettable sweet sixteen experience and my spiritual birth.

Happy Birth-day Karen! 

Sixteen candles…each flame representing the light of the world…Jesus. The heavenly father sent his only son into the world so that we could have birth-day wishes. The wish and desire for spiritual life for all mankind. My spiritual birthday. Your spiritual birthday. The most important and sweetest birthday of all!

 Have you had a spiritual birth-day? My hope and prayer is you will experience the sweet love of Jesus.

“…be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.” Ephesians 3:18-19 TLB

The love of Jesus came into my heart and life. Jesus is my savior—sweet!

Sweet sixteen and Oh Happy Day…when Jesus washed my sins away!

The day ‘sweet’ bumped into ‘happy.’ This was no chance meeting…it was meant to be. And it’s meant to be for you!

 

Note: The song, Oh Happy Day is a gospel hymn musically arranged by Edwin Hawkins.