"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." ... Psalm 90:12
******
Tonight at midnight Tom will arrive back home from San Francisco--hooray! (If you could say a prayer for a safe trip, I'd be thrilled.)
Now, did ol' Debra do her Three Procrastinated Things each day since last Friday? Yes.Yes she did. And are there still tasks she did not complete? Yep, which means, ack! I'd procrastinated more than 24 things.
Oh. My. Goodness.
But you know? I refuse to condemn myself. Hey, it's good to 'take Winter off' if you can get away with it (I usually can), concentrating mostly upon reading, relaxing and keeping ones family and cats from freezing or falling.
So there's that, and also, I've lived long enough to know condemnation isn't from God, but rather, conviction is. So I'll choose conviction--then go from there knowing I'm unconditionally loved.
And that's my favorite way to live and be.
******
Did I tell you I'm spending this next year mentally (and emotionally) bracing myself so I don't freak-out when I turn 60 next March? Many folks insist, "Age is only a number," but I'm not so sure. 😉
(Not until my 51st birthday did I accept, rather defeatedly I mused, that I'd arrived in such an advanced decade. So this time, guess who's getting a year head start?)
Some people can turn 60, 70, or 80 all willy-nilly with flippancy and barely a thought. Me? I'm not one of those people. I think about my age and whether I'm spending my decades wisely. I ask myself questions like, "Have I accomplished by now what God designed me to? Am I caught-up? If it all ended today, would I have left God-ordained tasks undone and things avoided?"
And of course there's the ol', "I have far fewer years on this Earth to live than I've already lived. Am I truly at peace with that?"
Anyway, I'm making a What's Terrific About Aging list and here's something on it: you learn the difference between what really matters and what only appears to:
Loving God with all your heart, matters.
Wearing a Busy For God Mask, does not.
Treating everybody with kindness, matters.
Always proving you're right, does not.
Doing your best-as-God-leads, matters.
Stressing and comparing yourself to others, does not.
I'm accepting, dare I say, liking this year-long journey. Maybe (just maybe) I'll be able to turn 60 without nary a spiral downward. heh.
"My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever." ...Psalm 73:26
Loved this:
“Why did so many grown-ups want to be young, she wondered, when it took so long to grow old? It was like going on a million-mile road trip then wanting to turn around without getting out of the car.”
― Pseudonymous Bosch, The Name of This Book Is Secret
******
Last month while seated in the dentist's chair, the assistant told me she couldn't believe how quickly her children had grown. For fun, (and to see if this shocked her at all) I mentioned that my daughter had just turned 38(!)
Not one of her eyebrows raised. Not one timbre of surprise infused her voice. She just said, "Oh, I know. I can't believe my oldest son is 6."
I give up. Those days of, "Oh! I can't believe you have a daughter that age! You look so young," are officially over. Alas. 😊
******
While Tom was away, I visited our coffee shop three times instead of the regular two and oh dear. Business was very slow again. I pray daily for these young local business owners (and back-up my prayers with some money-spending action), but I'd love it if some of you could join me in praying, also. Thanks so much!
So true! --
(Shared by my buddy, Dolores, at Facebook)
******
Praying for Tom today and your little coffee shop too. I’m glad you were able to get so much finished during this week while he was gone. I’m one of those people that birthdays don’t seem to affect very much, however, Dennis is not. 30 was the worst for him. I’ll turn 60 myself in less than two years. Maybe it will bother me and I’m just not thinking so yet! I hope you have a most lovely day and weekend my friend. Blessings, Betsy
ReplyDeleteBirthdays don't bother me at all. I am blessed to look younger than I am and at almost 75 that is a great surprise. I do creative things everyday in my sewing room (fees my spirit) and walk my little dog three or four times a day. That way I get so exercise! I'm usually an introvert but today I tried something new. I smile at everyone I saw. So looked at me surprised. Some smiled back. An older gentleman stopped in his tracks and smiled back warmly and said thank-you. It was a nudge from the Holy Spirit that moved me in this direction. I shall try to continue to do this.
ReplyDeleteBetsy and Jan-- Must be nice not to take birthdays seriously. But for me, each one is like godly conviction and I use them to make adjustments for the year ahead. Birthdays, I believe, are important and take my breath away (if you want to know). They remind me of my responsibility for the life God gave me and of the shortness of it. They're like a magnifying glass upon my brief time here and you know? I'm thankful that they fill me with awe and I use them as a yardstick. I wouldn't want to, frankly, handle them with ease and treat them like just another day, just another year.
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are my wake-up call, so to speak. (And the really do shake me awake, for which I'm grateful!) :)
Thanks for commenting, Ladies! Blessings, Debra
For me the big Oh birthdays are significant and time to think about what is past and what future goals are. I pray for the young business owners to attract lots of customers and success.
ReplyDeleteBirthdays never bothered me UNTIL the big 6-0. I look reasonably young for my age, and I'm in good health, so I don't know why it wiped me out like it did, but for weeks, I cried when I thought about turning 60. The day came (almost 3 years ago) and yes, I got a speeding ticket for going 60 in a 40 ON my birthday, but other than that, it's been three fine years and I wish I hadn't wasted so much time dreading it! Evaluating and correcting are wise, freaking out is not! :)
ReplyDeleteI cracked up at your "fishing" for the "oh, you can't possibly have a child that old!" I mourn rarely hearing that anymore too. (And my oldest is 42!) :)
Terra--yes! That's it. The big Oh birthdays. They're the most meditative ones. I'm glad you understand and thanks so much for praying for my local coffee shop!
ReplyDeleteOh Deb! Thanks for sharing your story about turning 60. I recall it from Facebook and wow, if that had happened to me it probably would have felt like a dark omen for that whole new decade. ha! Glad you were able to move on in joy. Oh, and thanks, also, for reminding me that I hadn't included a note about turning 50--I went back and did that after your comment. So glad someone understands about my dentist chair story! :)
Thanks for commenting, Ladies! Blessings, Debra
Birthdays do bring contemplation...and I think they should. Heavens, I can apply for Medicare on my next birthday, and that's hard for me to grasp! In light of the health challenges I had nearly two years ago, I welcome every single birthday (notice I didn't say that I welcome all the stuff that comes along with aging...like arthritis, chin hairs, etc.). The one thing that I believe aging brings with it is increased self awareness, and maybe even more acceptance of oneself. I'm hoping for many more birthdays!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam! And I totally agree that aging brings more self awareness (and Life awareness, too) and acceptance of oneself. That's been a wonderful thing and I'm thinking much of it comes from walking with Jesus longer and coming to realize His great unconditional love for us. As He's become more important to me, I can relax about others opinions and just move on in the joy of being loved and accepted the God who created me.
ReplyDeleteThanks again and blessings to you, Debra