Ball for All

Last year, I promised my husband that this year we would combine the birthday parties of my three girls into one event. You see, I can be a bit of a birthday momzilla when it comes to ensuring that my daughter’s birthdays are celebrated perfectly. I want everyone we know to feel included and the theme to be impeccably executed and magical memories to be captured flawlessly. I work countless hours to ensure that the birthday girl is filled with joy and celebration, all possibilities of any disappointment  on her big day extinguished. I can put out those fires with the best of them and truly delight in all of the prep that comes with making them feel fully celebrated. As spring approached, I was not sure that I could keep my “one event” promise as each girl started planning for this year’s birthdays with glee, but then I came up with the perfect plan: we would have one giant “Ball for All!” We would decorate it like Cinderella’s ball and have a hot pink castle cake and music and dancing! They were sold, and the fabulous season of anticipation began! We spent a month planning every detail and grabbing up every strand of twinkle lights we could find. My sister donated the chandeliers from her wedding and my mother chipped in all of her golden serving pieces and a giant castle centerpiece while my mother-in-law loaded up our car with glass slippers, clocks, pumpkins and pink tablecloths. Our Nissan Pathfinder just screamed Royal Ball! By the time Amazon graciously delivered the rest of the  supplies at our front door, there was nothing that could stop this event.  My mom and I stayed up until 1am the night before the ball, adding all of the lights and final touches, making sure that the girls’ eyes would light up with wonder when they came rolling in the door in their carriage wagon. The day of the ball arrived, and a fire I could not put out descended. Lorelai spiked a fever! She spent the whole morning that was set aside for making the food together, at the doctor with her dad. I worked with the other two princesses until she came home, weak and sick. The doctor found that she had a recurring infection, something not contagious, thankfully, and she was put on medication. Amazingly, she felt much better after some medicine and rest and was able to help with the final set up. She even lit up with joy getting ready  in her ballgown and tiara! We arrived, and they had their big entrance, joy flooded their eyes as they saw the ball, and they had a wonderful time until  the fever returned, and my oldest princess ended up slow dancing on my shoulder, unable to muster a single twirl. There was nothing I could do to fix this moment, but I so loved holding her and swaying to the music. An hour and Motrin later, she perked up again and enjoyed the last part of the party. Scarlett and Avonlea had the best time. I got to witness their twirls and laughter as they whipped across the dance floor. There was a lot of joy in the day, but it was tainted by something out of my control, a fever and a sick little girl who did not get to fully enjoy the day and ultimately just wanted to go home. This morning, Lorelai asked me when Jesus would defeat Satan, you know, typical on the way to school question for that one, and the Lord flooded me with truth from their birthday ball. I told her that Satan had already been defeated when Jesus rose from the dead but that until Jesus returns again and establishes His kingdom, Satan would still have small victories here like sickness, sin and temporary death. I explained it to her like this. It is like the Ball for All. It was beautiful and glorious and fun, but it wasn’t perfect because we do not live in a perfect world yet, no matter how hard Mommy tried to make it feel that way for your day. Sickness snuck in and had a small victory over our joy, but that just makes us long for heaven more, to long for the return of Jesus in a greater way.  Our ball was beautiful with all of the gold-tinted decor, but His ball will be covered with real streets of gold. Our ball had a cute pumpkin filled with small marshmallows labeled “pearl stud earrings.” His ball will have real extraordinary pearl gates! And so we are grateful for the joy we have here, but we are not paralyzed by the disappointments because they just point us to the fullness of joy and celebration that is coming. You see, when He returns and we join Him in the Wedding Feast, the eternal Ball for All, it is going to be perfect. There will be no sickness, sadness, pain or death. We will not want to go home. We will BE home. Will you join me in this season of anticipation? After all, it is going to be the best celebration ever, and everyone who knows Him will be there, spread the word. You won’t be disappointed.