Happy Birthday to YOU~!

I hope you are ready for a readers quiz because this week I’ve got test time on my typing finger tips. The test question is: What song is the most sung song in America? Depending on which reading arena you find yourself in, you will have a different song for each of the segments. Rock n’ Roll maybe Elvis or Michael Jackson, for Easy Listening, James Taylor would be an artist with plenty to choose from. In the church arena I am thinking Amazing Grace will be the number one song selected there, but I believe the answer to the question of #1 song sung in America-----Happy Birthday!
There is not a single day that this song is not sung in multiple languages including signing and the words of the song are sent “as singing” in text messages, and emails thousands of times everyday. If I asked the church arena why Amazing Grace is so special you are going to hear all kinds of different answers, but what’s the deal with the Happy Birthday song? Some maybe thinking there is nothing special about it other then it’s the day you were born and we sing the song because it is the National Anthem of Birthdays. Now I’ve not conducted any special research into how the song even came about but besides a tune that sings well for even those that cannot sing we all smile when we do it. There is something about that song but what is it?
When we are at a local restaurant that sings and claps we always watch or look over, why? Is it to watch someone be embarrassed, well that could be but I doubt that is the real reason. A birthday is not about anybody else, except you, which makes it special. One could ask why at birthday parties we don’t tell the birthday celebrant their parents did a great job? Why?...because we don’t honor the person whose birthday we celebrate where there were born, not to whom they were born, or even who was there when they were born. We don’t even thank the doctor or hospitals were the miracle of birth occurred…hum…why not? It does seem appropriate but it is not our standard or practice to do that, our standard is ice cream, cake and the singing of America’s favorite song.
As a Christian I think that singing Happy Birthday is or could be a very spiritual moment actually. With explanation and emphasis a birthday celebration could be some kind of way to honor the hand-i-work of God. Consider first that we should mention your earthly parents because the Bible says that Children are a “Blessing of the Lord”, doesn’t say anything about born inside or outside of marriage, just a “Blessing” directly from the Lord, now that is something! Consider the fact that each person that celebrates a birthday was created in the image of God. Now that could be scary for some based upon looks, but nevertheless, being created in the image of the one that created all things, that is something! Consider that each birthday celebration is honoring an individual that has also been uniquely gifted with talents given by God. Consider that the person celebrating a birthday was so loved by God that He died for them long before they even arrived just because He loved them!
There is a lot to consider when singing a simple song like Happy Birthday. Personally I am not sure what your selection is about the #1 song sung in America, but I certainly do hope that the next time you sing Happy Birthday, you will at least remember this column and the thoughts to consider about how special it really is to have a birthday!

Until then