I recently received a birthday gift from a friend who does not have access to cards or pretty paper, but it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. He wrote down a poem from memory that wasn’t sentimental and had nothing whatsoever to do with birthdays, but it brought a huge smile to my face and even made me laugh. He’s a man’s man with a big heart. This is what he wrote:
“To Rene!!!
Happy Birthday Young Girl
I don’t have access to a store that sells b-day cards, so I’ll send you a funny poem or rhyme I heard on TV!
There once was a man
Name Barney Fife
Who carried a pistol
And a knife
The pistol all rusty
The knife all dusty
Cause he never caught
A crook in his life!
Best I can do for a b-day card for you! Hope you like it! It sure makes me laugh!”
Yes, it did make me laugh, and I treasure it.
His gift reminded me of two things. One is from The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring movie in which Sam expresses a tribute to the recently fallen wizard, Gandalf. The elves were singing a hauntingly, beautiful lament, and he said, “I bet they don’t mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them.” So he stood and proceeded to create a verse, “The finest rockets ever seen. They burst in stars of blue and green. Or after thunder, silver showers came falling like a rain of flowers.” Then he discouragingly said, “Oh, that doesn’t do them justice by a long road.”
The second thing of which I was reminded is how the Bible expresses God’s perspective on gifts. Like an earthly father and mother who appreciate even the smallest, heartfelt gifts from their children, God doesn’t expect perfect pitch when we sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to Him. He doesn’t expect us to give hundreds or even thousands of dollars when we have only two copper coins, and He doesn’t expect a huge bouquet of flowers when all we have is a fistful of dandelions. God loves a cheerful giver and a gift that comes from the heart. (2 Cor. 9:7)
February 8th, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Dear Sweets,
What a cool, heart-felt gift from your friend. That person was thinking of you, and wishing to share something with you. He did what he could, and you’re right, that is also what God wants from us.
So, the big day is tomorrow??? I hope I got that right.
Anyway, I too have a silly poem for you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Some poems rhyme,
but this one don’t.
Happy Birthday Sweets!
g.
February 8th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
[chuckle] Thank you, g! Yep, the big day is tomorrow!
February 8th, 2013 at 7:10 pm
Sorry George, but I couldn’t stop laughing… I just adore this sort of humour:-D
February 8th, 2013 at 7:35 pm
Rom, he has that affect on people. He is actually a published author and has a blog as well if you’re interested: http://vtpenner.blogspot.com/. Thank you for visiting!
February 9th, 2013 at 11:12 am
I think that was an amazing gift!
February 9th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Thank you so much, Rynna, for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Yes, it was an amazing gift!
February 11th, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Happy, happy B-day, Rene!! I send you a BIG virtual (((HUG))).
February 11th, 2013 at 10:47 pm
Thank you so much, Sandra! I had a great birthday weekend, and now I’m trying to catch up. BIG ((hugs)) back!!
February 14th, 2013 at 11:28 am
When I saw this, I thought of you. Happy Valentine’s Day, dear Rene. http://tinyurl.com/au9ncu9
February 14th, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Aww, thank you so much, Sandra! That is so sweet! ((BIG hugs))
February 14th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
How sweet! This is surely a gift that has come from the warm hearted’
How thoughtful of him to have decided to send you this and bring a smile on your face instantly!
February 14th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Thank you! 🙂