Today is my birthday. I’ve been told I am old. I am okay with that. I am old-ish. But I am wise-ish also. For me it is a good exchange. I’m proud to be 53. That would have been considered ancient in the Middle Ages. I would have been the wise sage people sail across oceans to meet and get advice from. Everyone would have wanted to know me. They would have brought gold and grain and spices. Not such a bad scenario.

One of the great things about our social media society is that you get scads of birthday wishes from people you love and people you barely know. Which got me thinking about the word “know.” Do I “know” all the people who wish me well? Yes. But the levels of “knowing” are varied and significantly different. I know of people like the prime minister of the UK who has befriended me on Twitter. I “know” who he is and some of his politics. I “know” Facebook friends who I’ve met and chatted with only through social media a little better. I “know” friends from childhood but not who they are as adults. That knowledge is limited, but I would I would still say I know them. I “know” my girlfriends because we have shared our lives, our pain, our joys, our dreams. I know what they’ve gone through and they know me. I “know” my siblings, parents, children very well. I have lived with them. I know them because I’ve experienced life with them—its a first person kind of knowing. It goes beyond recognition, conversations, stories, or acquaintance. And I “know” my husband in a way that I know no one else. (Lucky me!)

But how well do I “know” God? I know of Him, I’ve read all about Him. I have chatted with Him and written to Him. I grew up with Him. I “know” Him and He “knows” me. He has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly and still loves me. I have leaned on Him when there was no one else close enough or strong enough to go through the pain or shadows with me. I know I can trust Him. And just the other day while I was praying I called him “Honey.” (It just slipped out when I was praying passionately.) So I know Him quite intimately. But I want to know Him more. Much, much more.

As I think about the year to come, I pray that my depth of knowledge increases tenfold in my relationships this year. With God. And with you. If you are reading this, I “know” you. And knowing you means I’m praying for you. May God bless you and may you get to know Him better and better every day.

Knowing you makes me a better person. Thanks for being in my life however it is that I know you.

Happy birthday to me! (Spices and gold are still appreciated!)

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.
Proverbs 16:31 NLT