It was a week before my daughter’s sixth birthday and I mentally reviewed my list to make sure I had everything purchased for her big day. I am a HUGE lover of birthdays. I tend to turn mine into a month-long celebration, a tradition I hope to pass onto my children. I felt confident everything was ready, and then I remembered…

For months my daughter had been obsessed with a headband at a local store. Everytime we visited, she would run to try it on and stare at her reflection with a huge grin. The lure of the item was that it had an attached braided ponytail which made her look like a pint-sized Lara Croft. It was an unnecessary purchase in a house that had drawers filled with hair accessories, so I told her to add it to her birthday list. Now, six days and a jam packed schedule away, the idea had completely slipped my mind.

I don’t feel the need to purchase everything my kiddos desire, but this item was just the surprise that would take the birthday to the appropriate level of epicness. It was midafternoon and I was on a two hour reprieve from the soccer tournament our son was participating in. The store, which housed the coveted item, was inside of the mall. An instant pain began to stab at my temple.

The mall on a Saturday, or any day for that matter, is a place I avoid at all cost. Crowds of people blocking my streamlined route to get in and out quickly. The aisles are wide, could we not form two lines? One for the “I’m here to stroll casually and I’ve got all day” individuals and a second for the “there are 53 other places I’d rather be including the DMV to get my license renewed, move or be moved” people. Just a thought.

Then, there is the mall ceiling, lined with skylights, that force my retinas to scream in pain and me to dig for sunglasses. What architect thought that procuring a sunburn while shopping was the next “big” idea?

Inevitably, I run into someone I “kinda” know and the exhausting, obligatory small talk begins. Fellow introverts…ya feel me?!

But my mama love won out and, with a sigh, I steered my car towards the product filled purgatory. The throbbing in my head was relieved, ever so slightly, by picturing my daughter’s face when she opened the box to discover her beloved headband. That’s what I love about birthdays. Filling the day with small surprises that make the celebration extra special.

It made me reflect on the unexpected “headband” blessings that we experience each day. The perfect song on the radio when I need some inspiration. A view of the sunrise while tending to a sick child. Discovering a washed and dried five dollar bill in my pocket as I am driving by Starbucks. Often, I am so busy, I forget to acknowledge these are blessings from above.

My reminiscing ended abruptly as I pulled into the overflowing mall parking lot. Aisle after aisle filled to capacity. The intense sensation of a hammer pounding directly into my frontal lobe returned.

I searched for an empty space, without success, then suddenly, a spot opened up right near the front. Ha! I see you little blessing!

“Thank you God!” I exclaimed.

Now, do I think God is up there physically moving cars so a spot is available for me?  Well, part of me hopes I get to heaven and discover a group of portly cherubs in charge of dispelling prime parking spaces to people having a bad day.

But, regardless of whether my angelic parking association exists, here is the truth. Anything that blesses us, flows directly from God. He is the Creator of all things! He is Sovereign over everything!

So that mini-blessing during the day – you bet He gets the glory! And just as I feel incredible joy when I surprise my six year old with a gift, He delights in giving each of us the blessings we receive. I need to intentionally seek them out. Praise and thank Him for all those moments that I, too often, hurry past.

I wish I could say this revelation improved my “mall-itude,” but afraid not. I still scowled menacingly at the kiosk man who asked to “show me something.”  I impatiently bobbed and weaved around the window shoppers, wore dark sunglasses, and avoided all direct eye contact. I left swiftly, clutching my purchase and some aspirin.

A few days later, the long awaited birthday arrived. I watched her face as she unwrapped the headband. Her jaw fell open. Joy ooozed out of every body part that could express it.

Exuberantly she exclaimed, “I wanted this my whole life! This is the greatest birthday ever in the United States of America!”

Best birthday in the whole country. Appropriate level of epicness achieved.

And as she hugged me and squealed in delight, I thanked God for His many blessings, especially the one that I held in my arms.

Look for the blessings today mama! The big and the “headband” ones! 

Any other mamas share my aversion to the mall and have a mall-itude? Best invention ever…..Amazon Prime. Just saying.