Big 21

So, I must admit, having strep throat on my 21st birthday wasn't the best. But I did have some of my best friends, my awesome family, and my handsome boyfriend there to help me feel better. Oh, and this prayer from my dad:

"Happy Birthday, Julia, 21! Thank you, God, for a daughter who is such a delight. Thank you for making her just the way she is.

I am so fortunate to have a daughter who loves you, loves people, that you love well through her as a great friend because people see Jesus in her, and loves life in general. I am fortunate to have great memories that she was so loving and vivacious growing up, loved her parents, and was even so very cute physically and personality-wise. I am fortunate that she has gradually become more and more responsible as a child, teen, and young adult. I am gratified that she and Cindy have been and still are such good friends. I can't believe my youngest is now 21.

I feel first of all greatly blessed by You, thankful, humbled that you would entrust her to us all of these years, joyful that she is turning out this way, sad for any opportunities that I missed to be with her or closer to her along the way, gratified that we have the relationship that we do now, confident in that you have planned for her in her role in your greater story.

My desires for Julia are- a few great friends that love her unconditionally for life; a husband that does that plus provides for her real needs well, appreciates her great heart and how we all see you in her, and has fun, joy, and ministry together as a great partner; work/ministry opportunities to use her gifts, her heart, and her love to fulfill her unique design and rol in your story; children to love, raise in Christ, and enjoy; finally I desire for her things so great that I can't even imagine, that Genesis 21:6 will be true for her- And Sara said, 'God has made me to laugh, so that ll who hear will laugh with me.'

Happy birthday, Julia, 21! Thank You for a daughter who is such a delight. Thank you for making her just the way that she is."

As you can imagine, we were both in tears and each other's arms by the time he finished reading this to me. Fathers, don't let your kids go another day without telling them how proud they are of you. Happy Father's day!