Another Year Older

Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. (Psalm 37:24-26 ESV). Today’s the day! I celebrate another birthday today. In 1949 (I know that sounds like forever to some of you), I was born in Galveston, Texas. Each birthday has proven to be somewhat of a surprise to me. Sometimes they have been very ordinary and at other times they have been unique and exciting. It’s strange to me how different people handle their birthdays in different ways. For some folks, a birthday is not a cause for excitement at all. Babies have no problem handling birthdays. Mostly that’s because they have no clue what's going on! They cry, wet, burp, hiccup, sleep and do whatever feels good or bad to their heart's content. Bigger kids get very excited. Ask a sixteen-year-old about their birthday and almost certainly they will begin to talk about the prospect of driving and their newfound freedom. And when we reach the midyears, at 40 or 50, our friends go crazy. They bring out the black balloons, the black crepe paper, the wheelchair, the cane, the prune juice and the Geritol to remind us that we are, without a doubt, their dear AGING friend. It's still fun and helps us forget the wrinkle lines, the graying hair, the aching back, the sore joints and whatever else comes with the beauty of old age! Regardless of how old you may be on your next birthday, I have used today as a means to think about how to handle getting older. We really have only two choices. We could moan and groan about the new number, or we could focus on the goodness of the Lord through recounting our past with Him. I am choosing the latter. God has been very good to me. There have been many challenging experiences along the way, but He has never failed to walk with me through every experience. Whether they were hills or valleys, storms or sunshine, year after year, He has been with me. There are so many stories to tell, time does not allow. However, the theme in each one is the faithfulness of God. This causes me to renew my commitment to Him once again. How could I not continue to trust Him? And, of course, I will also use this day to celebrate Him. While I cannot comprehend or anticipate His plan for me, I can trust in it to be good and full of joy. He has never failed to surprise me with His goodness! Here’s my prayer for my day, perhaps you should use it on your day too: "Lord, thanks for birthdays. They're easy to handle when I focus on You, when I recount my blessings, renew my commitment, and rejoice in Your love. Help me to do that, this day and everyday! Thank you for number 63!”