My Birthday

 

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 ESV).

I decided this year to do a little something on my birthday. This day in 1949 was a Tuesday. According to “Fun Facts” the price of gold was $40.50 per ounce; the Dow Jones was at $176.75 per share; the median price for a home was $6,912.00; the price a new car was $1,483.00 and a gallon of gas for the car was $0.27; and, if you were hungry, a loaf of bread cost $0.14. Most kids no longer needed to wear diapers (a milestone for both parent and child) when they aged a 1,000 days, which would have be April 28, 1952. I would have officially become a “Tween” in 1959, though it would be 1962 before I could be classified a teenager. I was legally driving a year later, around 5,000 days after my birth. Then by 1967 I was finishing my senior year of high school and preparing for entrance into Texas A&M University. By the time I was 21 I was already married and near graduation. Reaching the half century mark would occur in 1999, with retirement coming in 2016, which is just shy of 25,000 days old. By my count I am now over 26,500 days old.

 

Our reading today tells us to “number our days.” However, I am sure these notes are not the “numbering” Moses was talking about. So much more could be said about these 7.2 decades of living. Perhaps the most significant comes from an experience Kyle recounted from his remembrance in his senior year of high school. In the afterward of my third book he wrote:

 

“When I was in high school, Dad got really sick. At first the doctors thought it was arthritis, but it wasn’t. It was a rare disease called hemochromatosis that caused iron to build up in his bloodstream, eventually leading to iron deposits in his joints and tissues. One of the prescribed treatments was weekly phlebotomies – removal of a pint of blood every week. This and other treatments made Dad incredibly weak and sick. Not the sort of thing that I was used to seeing. During this period I noticed some other changes as well. If Dad lost his temper with one of us, he apologized. More and more though, he didn’t lose his temper. Times when I had broken the family rules were times of discipline to be sure, but they were also moments when I sensed the unconditional love and acceptance of my father. One other thing, Dad also talked about ‘grace’ – all the time! See, during this time, I believe he was experiencing the sufficient grace of his Father – his heavenly Father – so that His power could be made perfect in Dad’s weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

 

That is “numbering our days.” When we are able to reach a point when we truly understand the great milestones are reached as we “get a heart of wisdom” (v. 12b), then we have something of eternal value. That is a treasure far greater than any earthly thing. So, this day, my 72^nd birthday, I wish you a day that touches your soul with the treasure of God’s wisdom. Learn from Him… gain from Him. Have a great day!