Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.*
As my birthday approached, I kept hearing a familiar phrase go through my mind: 55 Alive! Yep, that’s right, I’m the double digits today that bring any semi-aware person to the reality that they’ve finally arrived at an age they only thought possible for elderly teachers or parents.
I think that’s why the 55 Alive was on repeat in my mind. My dad taught defensive driving classes for over twenty years to those 55 and older, so they could get a discount on their car insurance. Now, here I am, fifty-five and living to tell about it.
It’s easy to laugh with friends and wonder how we got to be this old, but at least we’re laughing about it now. That’s when I realized, we can choose to laugh and accept the age we’ve become with thanksgiving and continued anticipation at what God wants to do in our lives, or we can cry and moan and dread the years ahead in fear of decline and death.
I choose to live!
There are many examples in the Bible and even history of how God uses people in their “senior” years to make huge impacts for the Kingdom. I want to be counted among those that continue to strive to be more like Christ in their life and words, that others may be drawn toward God.
I know with complete certainty that my double digits does not guarantee that I know it all. I still want to grow, to learn…to gain that heart of wisdom. The older we get, we do tend to “number our days” or pay attention to the number more than when we’re young, because we know that eventually the numbers run out. So, I’ll take my days and count them, thankful for those behind me and the blessings God’s granted, but also looking at those ahead, few or many, and striving to make each count for him.
I want to be 55 Alive all year long, and next year, Lord willing, will be able to say I’m 56 Alive with just as much fervor and excitement.
Are you counting your days? I pray you’ll choose to live each one to his glory, that you might gain a heart of wisdom.
Grace and Peace
*Psalm 90:12