First Leap

As a child I remember playing "Leap Frog". I recall a story of a young lady kissing a frog that turned into a prince. I had a classmate who did not celebrate her fifth birthday until two years after we graduated from high school. Today, somewhere out there, she celebrates her eleventh birthday. Today I went to school with Froggy, A Frog in the Bog, and a fuzzy frog with floppy legs who doesn't leap and doesn't hop on my lap. Today little children gathered at my feet and listened to and sometimes interacted with the Frog stories. On occassion, with some help, the fuzzy frog with the floppy legs who doesn't leap and doesn't hop would let out a croak but otherwise he sat silently in his own chair. The children, too fun, sometimes silly frog stories, and a fuzzy frog with floppy legs who doesn't leap and doesn't hop on this special day. This extra day, this gift, this day that still leaves the shortest month of the year the shortest month of the year, this once every four years day, this last day of February, this February 29, 2008, this "Leap Day" of this "Leap Year". On the three years in between, February 28 is the last day of this month, but not this year, not this first year. This first year? You see, the fuzzy frog with the floppy legs who doesn't leap and doesn't hop and only croaks with help belonged to my Dad. It was given to him by someone very special (Bea) who had floppy legs that didn't leap and didn't hop, just like mine, just like the fuzzy frog. My Dad whose birthday is February 28. My Dad who wasn't here to celebrate his birthday this first year. This first year he celebrated in a far better place. This first year there was a far greater celebration, a heavenly celebration, and maybe some "Angel Food Cake"? A far sweeter, sweeter than we can begin to imagine celebration! I can picture him smiling and his arms with hands lifted high and singing joyous praises to the One Whose amazing grace made this all possible. For it was twenty one years ago this February when my Dad knelt down at an altar of prayer and humbly received God's gracious gift of eternal life. It was there and then that this man who lived from age nine without an earthly father was adopted into the family of his Heavenly Father. It was there and then that my earthly father became my eternal brother along with Jesus our Lord and Savior. It was there and then that the celebration started and now...exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think is what he is experiencing! So, on this day, this first leap, with the children and the fuzzy frog with floppy legs who couldn't leap and couldn't hop was where I belonged. So, on this day, this first leap, I have reason to celebrate the gift of life...abundant life and eternal life! So, on this day, this first leap, I have reason to celebrate for one day these floppy legs that cannot leap and cannot hop will leap and hop on streets of gold with my Dad and with Bea who gave him the fuzzy frog and with my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. So, on this day, this first leap, I remember and give thanks for the love of my earthly father! So, on this day, this first leap, I remember and give thanks for the love of my Heavenly Father! So, on this day, this first leap, I remember that you are both somehow always with me, always a part of me both now and forever and I rejoice! "This is the day that the LORD has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!"