I thought I would dread it. But it’s here, and I don’t. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’m choosing to welcome it with gusto and grit. I suppose that I’m now planted firmly in the “middle age” category. (That is, if I live to be 120.)
I remember well the first time the kid at the theater sold me the “senior” movie ticket (without even asking). Though happy to save a couple of bucks, I seriously wanted to punch him. How could he be so dreadfully confident and so dreadfully wrong at the same time? That was now many discounts ago. I no longer protest. My gray hair betrays me.
It’s a great age, in fact, and a creative balance between wisdom and reality. On the wisdom side, I’m no longer surprised by human limitations (the many which are mine, or those belonging to others). We’re all sinners in desperate need of a Savior, and we offer vast evidence of our need on a daily basis. I’m learning to see myself through the lens of grace, and hopefully that’s translating into how I see and embrace others. I am, in fact, more grateful than ever for God’s grace.
On the reality side, there is the quirkiness of this aging (did I admit that?) human body. Now, after a 2-hour drive in the car, I can guarantee you that my first fifteen steps after exiting said vehicle will look like some sort of unintentional acrobatics. I refer to it warmly as the readjustment period. It can be a little embarrassing at first, but you get better and better at making people believe that you intended all of those motions as a vigorous form of exercise. (It’s like my own mini-version of an escape room.)
I’m also realizing that I sometimes miss (as in, not hear) certain lines in certain conversations. At the same time, back to the wisdom side of life, I’m also recognizing that many lines are not really worth hearing. So it all kind of balances out in the end. At least that’s how I’m trying to seize the day in my own mind.
Sixty. Sounds so … mature. But I still feel like a kid in so many ways! I like spontaneity, as long as you’ll let me put it on my digital calendar. I like intrigue, as long as it was written by C.S. Lewis. I like adventure, as long as it ends promptly by 8:00 p.m.
But sixty really rocks, friends, and here’s why: the Lord is good! He has been so very good to me. For sixty years He has given me life and breath. For sixty years He has given me family and friends. For sixty years, with the dawn of all 21,915 of those new days, He has given me relentless evidence of His sovereign care. I am overwhelmed today by the love of God.
He gave me parents who loved me, and grandparents and siblings and aunts and uncles and cousins to do the same. Eileen, my lovely bride. Joshua, my beloved son. Friends around the world. And the dearest people, to love and to be loved by, in the dearest congregations on the planet. My cup overflows.
My knees are no longer 100% reliable, though I’m deeply grateful for both of them. My fingers can sometimes detect changes in the weather (can I get paid for this new skill?). And climbing to the top of the ladder to complete a household project now gives my prayer life a sudden burst of zeal. But here I am. And I am embracing this new season with passion and praise! I promise you that I’m going to give this sexagenarian thing (no, Spell Check, that’s the word I want lol) my best shot.
Thank you for letting me laugh at myself, and thank you for laughing with me as I celebrate one more trip around the sun. I’ve been blessed with 59 birthdays so far, but I think that tomorrow’s will be my best. Because the Lord is good. Nothing but good.
Pastor Charles
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