Ezra had always looked forward to his birthday as a child and also as a teen. It was the one day of the year when he was the focus of attention, and he had the opportunity to blow out candles on a cake and make a wish. Birthdays, however, became just another day for him as he grew older. He continued to celebrate, but the excitement and expectation had faded.
Ezra’s family and friends surprised him with a birthday celebration at a local restaurant on his 30th birthday. Their care moved him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. As he sat at the table with his loved ones, he realized what he was lacking was a feeling of purpose. He lacked direction in his life. He had a wonderful career and a great apartment, but he didn’t feel like he was really making a difference in the world. The waiter handed out a cake with 30 lit candles as everyone finished their dinners. Before blowing out the candles, Ezra closed his eyes and made a wish. As he opened his eyes, he noticed a woman standing at the restaurant’s corner, staring at him. She had a melancholic look in her gorgeous, almond-shaped eyes, and Ezra recognized her. He walked away from the table and approached the woman. “Do I recognize you?” he asked. “I don’t think so,” the woman said after a brief look at him.Ezra couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he’d seen her before, but he didn’t want to think about it. He returned to the table and spent the remaining time of the evening having a good time with his companions. As he headed home that night, Ezra couldn’t stop thinking about the woman in the restaurant. He had the impression that she was important in his life, but he didn’t know why. He went to bed unsatisfied and restless.
Ezra awoke the next morning with a renewed sense of purpose. He didn’t know what it was yet, but he knew he needed to do something important with his life. He quit his job and began helping at a women’s and children’s shelter in his community. It was difficult work, but he finally felt like he was making a difference in this world.
One day, as he was walking home from the shelter, he saw the woman from the restaurant again. This time, she approached him. “I remember where I know you from now,” the woman said. “You were volunteering at the shelter when I brought my daughter there. “Ezra was stunned. He remembered the woman now – she had been overwhelmed and had brought her daughter to the shelter after her father had abused her. Ezra had spent hours talking to her, offering her support and advice. He had no idea that his words had made such an impact on her.
“I don’t know whatever happened at that very moment, when I was blowing out the candles,” Ezra thought to himself. He realized that his wish had been to make a difference in the world, and that it had come true in a way he never expected. He hugged the woman and promised to keep helping others, knowing that it was the most fulfilling thing he could do with her life. Ironically, his name “Ezra” meant “help”…