Birthday Thoughts

You young things hang on, because the years roll by with breathless speed.

All of a sudden, like me, you'll find yourself in the senior ranks, and the delightful surprise is it's quite fun after all. The opportunity you have for reflection that the hurry-scurry years seldom allowed is great. Yes 60's are all in all quite a nice place to be.

I recently took the time to ponder what 67 feels like.

Life for me has been less a self-planned unfolding of my choices as I used to pompously believe and more an intentional journey with God. A release, a freedom to day by day plunge into the unknown, ordained by Him. And then hanging on tightly and delighting in the tour He's planned.

New options appear at every season for walking through open doors God has placed before me. Entering isn't scary any more. I'm always eager to respond to anything that might be of Him.

Sometimes I start leaping too fast as St. Peter often did. But then my husband, Wayne, reminds me he became the first Pope. So Wayne's taken to calling me Popette. But always I'm guided, sometimes with a thump, back to the reality God has intended for me in every course of this feast of life.

Over the years I've learned a few important things about me that change the way I view everything:

I have no giftedness apart from what our God has placed within me.

I have no desire for riches except to use them for God's work in the world.

I have no need of anything that He hasn’t provided.

I am among all women the same but different because I KNOW I am richly blessed with treasure that cannot be lost or stolen.

How I praise my God who has birthed His love and wisdom within me!

My goal is only that I may honor Him adequately with these brief days of life.

And leave a legacy of truth and strength for generations to come.

I embrace fully the heritage I received, including my family's history of alcoholism and dysfunction, but also one of faith and creativity and love, all of which I desire to sent forth into eternity.

In EVERY SITUATION, I bow to the one who made heaven and earth and me and I say Thank You for dwelling in me. And for giving me a power to laugh at life and see the sparkle in each person. And thanks for instilling in me a few talents to invest for the Kingdom to come.

Happy Birthday, Me!