When I was a kid the year 2000 seemed a lifetime away. I would be 40 years old and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be grown up. Forty seemed old to me. Well, I'm almost 15 years past that now. Turning 40 was no big deal for me and 50 wasn't either. The only extraordinary thing about turning 55 will be some senior discounts I'll be able to take advantage of.
Am I old? A very vocal young man in West Nashville who didn't care for my driving recently called me an old fart and also informed me that I was a dumbass. The truth is that he didn't understand the concept of right-of-way. I was more entertained than offended by his insults. Age has never been a point of worry for me and I don't feel old, but over the past year I've been much more aware that I am in fact getting older.
Am I grown up? Sometimes I'm not sure what that even means. I've found that responsibilities change with time. For example, since last fall my wife Julie and I have helped my aunt in Kentucky through hospitalization, rehabilitation, and now into assisted living. Some things are very different. At times it has been unpleasant and stressful. Comfort zones are a moving target. This is life.
As I've become more reflective about my life I've realized that it has been made up of thousands of choices and moments that have been woven together like a tapestry. It is not like anything I would have expected at various points in time. I'd like to share some of my choices and moments with you through this blog in future posts. There is one thread running through the tapestry of my life that holds everything together: the faithfulness of God. It's best expressed by David in Psalm 37:25: "I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread."
