Another Trip Around the Sun

As I write this post, I have completed another trip around the sun and am beginning the next trip. That is simply another way of saying that I had a birthday. Birthdays mark the number of years that an individual has lived on this earth. Growing up we all want to move to the next year's birthday. For instance, when a child who has just had his seventh birthday is asked how old he is, he will reply "I am seven and a half." As we mature we are told to never ask a woman her age. However, when my mother moved to an assisted living facility several years ago, the first question the other residents asked her was how old she was. When she replied that she was ninety, the other residents thought that was great and told her that they had one resident who was ninety-nine. In that setting, age was a status symbol to be admired.

It is easy to lose sight of what age really represents. As I reflect on my new number, several things have been brought to my thoughts. One of the first is where do I stand within my age range to other close relatives. My father and maternal grandfather both died at the age of sixty-eight. On the other hand, my mother and grandmother both lived into their nineties. Right now I am at an age almost in the middle of the life span of those four persons.

One thing is certain - we do not have control over the length of our days, but we do have control over how we live those days. I recognize that there are some factors that can limit some specifics of what we do. When I was much younger, some of my dreams were curtailed by the lack of finances to fund those dreams. Today, some things that I might enjoy doing are stopped in the dream stage by some of those nagging health issues that often come with age. As a teenager and even as a young adult I was kept from going to Disneyland because it just cost too much. Today, while I could afford to go to Disneyland or Disney World, my knees scream "don't even think about walking all over that park." Perhaps you can identify with similar illustrations.

So what are we to do with this process called aging. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians (4:11) that he had learned to be content regardless of the situation. I am pulling this a little out of context because he goes on to mention being poor or rich. But I believe this fits just as well with our aging. Our situations are always changing just as they have been all of our lives. I am living in the twelfth house that has been home to me. Each one has been different in size, style, and condition. Our current house is my first one outside of Texas and the third house that my wife and I have had built. Do I miss some things from my home state? The rest of our family, friends, and Tex Mex food top the list. But this is our home now. And wherever we call home leads to contentment. The memories of the past also bring contentment as I consider all the things that God has called us to do, the people we have met, and the experiences we have shared.

What will this next trip around the sun bring? There are times that I wish I knew what the future holds in detail, but I do not. Some happenings in the future I believe will be similar to the present and the past. We will enjoy times with family and friends, attend church services and worship the Lord, continue routine activities, agree to do some things that aren't routine, experience life changing events of joy and of sorrow, and continue to look forward to the future.

I hope you live this week and every week doing those things that the Lord has placed in your path.