Samantha shut off her alarm and groaned. The day she’d been dreading had arrived. At least it was a workday and she could distract herself by being busy. She rolled out of bed and started her morning routine. At the breakfast table, she scrolled through her calendar for the day. Four meetings. Not too bad. The budget meeting, two meetings with her direct reports, and a vague catch-up meeting with Veronica in the large conference room. That one was a little strange. Still, Veronica was her closest friend, so at least she’d be meeting with a friendly face. Not that all the faces weren’t friendly. That was the beauty of working for a Christian publishing company. Spending her days in a Christian environment was an enormous blessing.

Samantha finished breakfast and brushed her teeth, examining her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t look forty. She didn’t feel forty. But this day marked an end of a dream. If she hadn’t found a husband by now, she probably never would. She sighed and headed into the office.

She pulled into her usual parking spot and took the elevator to the fourth floor. As she strode down the hall to her office, nothing jumped out at her. She flicked on the office light. No black balloons, no over the hill signs. She breathed a sigh of relief. But there were also no multicolored balloons or even a simple card. Usually birthdays were acknowledged, even in a small way.

The day continued without incident. Not even Veronica wished her a happy birthday. Samantha’s spirits sank. Sure, she’d been dreading the day, but commiserating with her friends would have helped. She wasn’t the youngest in the office anymore, but she certainly wasn’t the oldest.

At 2:00, Samantha made her way to the conference room. Every single cubicle was empty. The office was a ghost town. Was she missing something? She approached the main conference room, but the door was closed. Was there a 1:00 meeting that ran late? And what meeting was it, that everyone was at except for her? She paused by the door, wondering whether to knock. She pulled out her phone to message Veronica, when Veronica appeared behind her.

Samantha slipped her phone back in her pocket. “I think the room is busy. Do you want to talk in your office?”

Veronica shook her head. “No. I booked the room for 2:00. She knocked on the door and pushed it open. She gestured to Samantha. “After you.”

Samantha stepped in the doorway and nearly jumped back into the hall as the occupants of the room yelled out “Surprise!”

Veronica pushed Samantha into the room, laughing. “Happy birthday, Sam.”

Samantha didn’t know where to look first. Every person from the office stood in the conference room, beaming at her. Some clapped, some raised a glass, but all of them were there for her. Her gaze traveled from the smiling faces to the enormous sheet cake emblazoned with “Happy 40th Birthday Samantha!” to the balloons and streamers, to the wall covered with multi-colored signs. Veronica followed Samantha’s gaze and steered her toward the wall.

“Go check it out.”

Samantha moved across the room to the far wall where she read the banner. “Forty reasons why we all love Samantha.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she scrolled down the list, each message written by a different co-worker.

1. She stands by me and encourages me
2. She makes me laugh, even on the hard days
3. I can trust her not to gossip when I tell her my problems
4. She prays for me
5. She is full of kindness and compassion
6. She pushes me to be a better person
7. She tells me the truth, even when it’s hard to hear
8. She’s fun!
9. She accepts me for who I am, even though I can be a pain sometimes. 😊
10. She’s generous with her time and always listens and helps

On and on the list went. Samantha wiped her eyes on her sleeve and turned back to her coworkers.

Veronica handed her a glass of punch. “Samantha, since you came to this job as a kid fresh out of college, I’ve adored you. You’ve become the heart and soul of this company. I’m proud not only to call you the Editor in Chief of Abundant Scroll Press, but my dearest friend. I don’t know what I would have done with you all these years. You’ve helped me build this company from a team of four to this amazing family of 37. We’re touching millions of lives around the world. People read our books and are drawn closer to God. You’ve not only dedicated your work days to this company, but your nights and weekends are spent counseling coworkers, reading manuscripts on the side, or simply fellowshipping with many of us. To you, on this special day, we want to say thank you.” Veronica held up a glass. “To Samantha!”

Around the room, voices echoed “to Samantha!”

As Samantha moved to cut the cake, her heart overflowed with joy. She may not have a husband, and maybe she never would. But God loved her with an overwhelming love. And that would have been enough. Instead of leaving it there, though, He’d given her an abundance of friends who loved her. And that was more than enough.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

God, sometimes our lives don’t turn out the way we planned. But You know what’s best for us. You are the God of love, and we all desire love. It doesn’t always have to be the romantic kind. Please help us appreciate those brothers and sisters You’ve placed in our lives. Thank You for those friendships. Help us to share Your love with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.