Pawpaw's Birthday

Well, 15 Jan is my father's birthday. As I arose this morning (entirely too early, thank you!) and began to get ready for the day ahead. I prepared the crockpot meal I had agreed to take to work for lunch today since temps were to be 40 or below for the high, making sure there was enough for Dodi to have for lunch also. Then prepared Little Critter's schoolwork for the day, woke him up and we both got dressed. We picked up Nana and took her to the beauty shop, did the shopping for Shabbot, took Nana home, groceries to our house, then up to the office to start work. (By this time, I felt I'd already worked 3/4 of the day and was ready for a nap!!!!)
Shortly after we got to the office, it dawned on me that this was my Daddy's birthday. He turned 76 years old today! How blessed I've been to have this man as my earthly father all these years! My Dad is a character! For those who don't know him, he's a real hoot. He can talk an eskimo into ice in the middle of winter! But he'd also give you the shirt off his back if he felt you could use it....even if you don't really need it. When I was a child (from about age 6-high school), Daddy was a clown. No, don't laugh, I mean he was a card carrying clown! It was his profession!!!! I got in SO much trouble in school when we had to write stories about what we did over school holidays or summer vacation. "Over Thanksgiving break, I helped feed the lions, tigers and bears. I rode the elephants and washed behind their ears...." Yep, several trips to the principal's office for an over active imagination, several phone calls to my parents who then verified I'd told the truth all the time. I have letters from the other clowns in the circus and pictures taken with them. We played backstage during circus performances and I never once (even after grown up) had to pay for a ticket to the circus until after I was 40 years old and took Little Critter to the circus. (And then only because we went to the only circus that came close to where we live and it's NOT the one Daddy worked in.)
So after Dodi and I got off work, we called Daddy and took him out to eat dinner at the resturaunt of his choice. He was so surprised (I'm not sure why, we do this regularly) and touched that we a)remembered his birthday (like I've ever forgotten it?!?!) and b)took the time to take him out to dinner. (Possibly an indication my younger sister who lives with he and Mom forgot to remember his birthday.) After we stuffed him with his choice of Chinese food, and took him home, it occured to me. Just as we wanted to bless my father just for being who he is and being such a wonderful father so too our Heavenly Father wants to bless us for being who we are and being His children. All it took to make Daddy's day and put a smile on his face was a card, a small gift (his favorite kind of licorice) and dinner. But Papa wants to give us much more than that....how incredible is that?! I can hardly wait to see what new gifts Papa will give to me....and I don't even have to wait till my birthday! May you find the gifts He sends you each day....His love letters to you. Shalom, Joie