"What do you want for your birthday?"

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My niece celebrates her fifth birthday today. Recently my parents were visiting with her. "NaNa," as she calls my Mom, knew that this birthday was coming up so she asked my niece, "What do you want for your birthday?"

And the little girl said so matter of factly, "Dirt."

Well, of course, NaNa expected to hear "a baby doll" or "dress up clothes" or "a paint set"; something like that. So she chuckled a bit and said, "Girl, what are you going to do with dirt?"

And my niece said, "I’m going to fill up the holes in our backyard that the dogs dug so when I’m running and playing I won’t trip and fall."

Do you ever ask a friend a question like "What do you want for your birthday?" and get an answer you didn’t anticipate? Take for instance the common greeting, "How are you today?" You expect "Fine," but what if you get, "Not so great. You wouldn’t believe my day…" Are you prepared to listen?

When you listen to life so you can make a life, not just a living, you’re prepared for whatever answer you receive…even from God.

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