My birthday is tomorrow.
As my friend, Bobby, might say, it will be the 58th
anniversary of the day of my birth. Try
as I may, I still haven’t caught up with another friend, Randy.
This year, I feel particularly pensive. Many of my former high school classmates just
gathered for a celebration of our 40th year since graduation. I appreciate how social media and smart phone
technology almost made me feel like I was there. The pictures and comments on Facebook brought
back more than a few memories and stirred a melancholy mix of emotions. They also revealed in no uncertain terms how
far from 18 we have all come.
As I kept coming back again and again for more updates from
our class reunion, I was saddened by the number of our peers who have
died. Like every generation, I imagine most of us rarely
if ever imagined we were actually mortal.
Live forever? Tell that to one of
our own, Mitch, whom I understand is now in hospice care. Actually, I think he would gladly tell us the
truth about graduations and living forever.
Anyone who believes and receives Jesus Christ will graduate to glory
when death comes, and they will live forever – truly live and truly forever!
Today, it feels like most of my “firsts” have come and gone.
·
First home run – hit off my friend, Brad Burns. Actually, I hit two off of him in that game –
the first barely over the right field fence at Shields and the second was a
bomb to left.
·
First true love – I know who that is. Donna,
you are still the one. How wise and
gracious of God to complete me with you!
·
The five first times to hold each of our “Fab
Five” – Lauryn, Bethany, Jonathan, Joshua, Caitlyn, God continues to teach me about
Himself, His love, His amazing “father-ing” (?) by the esteemed honor is it to
be your dad.
·
The first time I sang our “Family Song” to our
grandkids, and the upcoming first tie to sing it to our third grand.
Ah, you get the picture.
Now, I am at a time of life when I need to appreciate the swift arrival
of many, many “lasts.” The problem with our
“lasts” is the most of them wave an unnoticed farewell to us in the rearview
mirror before we even knew they were here.
We do not typically schedule our most meaningful “lasts.” I so very much want to make the most of my “lasts.”
I suspect the best way to make the most of my “lasts” will
be to do my best to see and seize every moment of meaning. Many of my friends have heard me talk about
making the rest of our lives the best of our lives. You may also remember me saying something to
this effect: None of us know how many days we have left in the rest of our
lives. We do know, however, when the
rest of our lives starts – right now. I think
this is akin to what the psalmist means, “Lord, teach us to number our days”
(Psalm 90:12).
That brings me back to my birthday. Occasionally, my beloved or one of my
children will ask me what I want for my birthday. I rarely know what to say (or at least how to
tell my sensible, godly, grown-up sweetheart I really want the newest RPG for
my PS4 – or the next Madden if there is not a new RPG to my liking!). Well, this year I think I do know what I want
for my birthday; although, I fear I may stumble to say it as well as I would
like.
The wonderful reality about what I really want most for my
birthday is that it is FREE! It has
already been paid for in full! The sobering
reality about my birthday wish is that it requires of any who would be so inclined
to give up everything in the exchange, an exchange heavily tilted in our favor,
immeasurably so! We give up our
brokenness, failures, blind scurrying, and sad ends for healing, wholeness,
healing, and Home. The heartbreaking and
tragic reality is the eternal loss of every soul who walks away from the offer God
extends.
If you have read this far, maybe you would dare to read a
bit more. This piece won’t answer every
question, but as I read it today, I thought of more than a few of my favorite
people, and I thought this might be a helpful stepping stone for some of you in
a new direction. Of course, if you’d
like to take a few more steps in that way, I would be happy to walk with
you!
Anyway, thanks for being who you are and whom God has
fashioned you to be in my life. Thanks
for enduring! And, thanks for giving
this article from Patrick Morley a look-see.
Here’s what he thinks is the best analogy of the existence of an invisible
God he’s ever heard (http://bit.ly/33HFuui). I like it, too.
Well, here's to wishing me a happy birthday!
