Our high school principal was eagerly looking forward to celebrating her 60th birthday with our NCA family. We were sad when we found out that she had to make an emergency trip to the U.S. to be with her mother who had an unexpected fall. Then we were further sadden when we received the news that her mother passed away on the day of her birthday. We decided we were going to surprise her by celebrating her 60th birthday sometime after she was back at NCA. So yesterday the whole school showed up at lunchtime with a giant birthday cake and a mariachi band to celebrate her birthday!
Here is what she had to say afterwards, "My mom’s death on the morning of my birthday was a blessing—no more suffering for her and she had been wanting to go to heaven for a long time--but emotionally difficult for me. Over the last few weeks I’ve wondered what the rest of my birthdays might be like because of all of the emotions attached to this birthday. With one swoop you have given me such a gift of joy forever to tie to my 60th birthday. This one was a definite, “WOW!” You were the evidence in my life that when we cast our cares upon the Lord, we have no idea how marvelously He may choose to take care of them. He certainly gave me “beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning” (Isaiah 61:3) today."