What I Write About

I write about the infinite number of intersections between every day life and the good news of the God who has come to get us.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Birthday Reflections: Diapers, Donors, and Aging Biblically

Today I turned 36. That's old.

I've had a deep sense of how rich my life is today. That's not always true on my birthday. But today I've been keenly aware of the beauty of my three kids, the joy of being married to a wonderful woman, the richness of wisdom that have been handed to me in the friends and mentors that God has put in my life.

I'm grateful for good work. I'm overwhelmed at the nearly one million dollars donated by hundreds of people over the past fourteen years to allow me to be on campus. Nearly every diaper, every grocery bag, every gallon of gas has been paid for by money that once existed in someone else's bank account before they passed it along to me.

And of course on top of all that, I have a relationship with the Lord that is fresh and particularly tangible recently. I'd give up all else to follow him if he asked it. But he has instead granted me grace upon grace and gift upon gift--tangible expressions of his love are all around me.

So I am getting old. But I remember once my brother talking about his 30th birthday. He commented something to the effect that our culture celebrates youth, but the Scriptures celebrate the wisdom that comes with age. To go against the flow of culture in how we think about age and what's most important is part of the invitation of Christ to follow him.

A good word for me on my 36th birthday. I've had a great one. I hope you've had a great my-birthday today, too.

1 comment:

Elizabeth said...

Please do not talk about being old! What does that make me?!? Just wait. Nothing makes you feel as old as the age of your children.