I wasn't expecting anything more than a few nice birthday wishes from people in the States over facebook, and I certainly expect anyone to learn that it was my birthday over here because I hadn't told anybody, nor did I have the intention of telling anybody. But Germans are clever. Once one of them found out, they all found out. And they moved fast to make sure it would be a special day for me.
First they surprised me with a cake at lunch. One of the guys that I share an office with came upstairs as I was working, and pretending to be out of breath, he asked me if I could help him move some boxes downstairs. I followed him downstairs and into the dining hall where everyone was eating lunch, and as I soon as I walked in everyone began singing happy birthday to me in English and I noticed they had a cake with a few candles lit on the table nearest to me. I was completely surprised! I just stood there smiling, wishing I could think of the words fast enough in German to express how much it meant to me (I think I just said "thank you" like a million times).
After work, they organized a game of volleyball, because they remembered that I said I really enjoyed playing the sport. And like all Europeans, they were extremely athletic, so the level of competition was just how I like it! Afterward, a few guys invited all of us over to their apartment to eat, watch the Uruguay vs. Holland game half-heartedly, and just enjoyed spending time with one another. They let me speak English, partly because it was my birthday and partly because my German doesn't even compare to their English, so I was able to actually speak intelligently and add something meaningful to the conversation without worrying about incorrect grammar and insufficient vocabulary!
Just as I thought things were about to wrap up, Steffi, one of my good friends who works as a secretary at the seminary handed me a gift wrapped in orange paper. Everyone gathered around and insisted that I open it immediately (I had this eerie feeling like they all knew something I didn't). When I unwrapped it, I became the proud owner of an official Adidas German Football Fan jersey. It's sleak, and a little expense from what I hear, so it's definitely something to be worn with pride. Germany plays Spain today in the semi-finals. It's a huge deal to them, and they wanted to make sure I'd be supporting Germany in style! Once again, they got me. I was stunned. Above all, I felt so much gratitude because of their thoughtfulness and generosity.
The entire day they went out of their way to ensure that it was a special day for me, making me feel loved and important to them, and all-the-while I feel like I'm just a stranger bumping into them for a brief moment in life. I certainly don't feel worthy of such generosity, but once again, I see that love has nothing to do with worthiness. Thankfulness does, however. And I am thankful.
I think a lot of us view Germans as a very rigid, unfeeling, and strict people. I shared that view at one point. I think we've got it all wrong, though. They care about people so much. They're kind and welcoming, even to foreigners like me who suck at their language and often pull the conversation selfishly toward excessive talk about American culture. They humble me. Not because of their rules, or their intelligence, or their flawless organizational skills, all of which they're most commonly known for, but because of their kindness, openness, acceptance, inclusiveness, relational sensitivity, and above all else, because of their love. For whatever reason, they think it's cool to let me be a part of their community, and I think it's pretty cool, too!
Geez, I'm really starting to get into birthdays now.
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