Ecclesiastes
7:1 ESV
A good name is
better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
Well as of today, I have existed fifty-five years on this
spinning globe. I must admit while many approach their birthdays with a sense
of excitement, today’s birthday is one with a bit of anxiety. My father died
when he was fifty-four, and for the longest time I have thought about my
approaching this age.
Many things in my life are different from my father, in the
fact that I don’t smoke, and I see a doctor as regularly as possible. Our
similarities are in our love for coffee and food. This Tuesday, I will celebrate my birthday wondering
about dad, and what if he had lived longer then fifty-four. Today, I will think
of the things that I have accomplished in my fifty-five years on this earth. I
will even think of the mistakes that I have made, and how I have grown from
them.
What does another birthday mean in the scope of one’s life? It
means that I (we) have another day to serve the Lord, it means that I (we) can
try to do better than I (we) did yesterday. Another birthday means that I (we)
have an opportunity to love my (our) wives more, and to love my (our) children
more.
Beloved each day on this earth is a new opportunity to share
the new you that was made by Christ, and to know that He loves you for your
faith in Him, and that He forgives you for your mistakes and missteps.
Maybe a birthday is just another year, but I like to think
that it is another opportunity to do new things, to love more, and to work even
harder for His kingdom. What have I contributed to the betterment of society,
what challenges await me in the future? Only God has these answers.
The Lord has blessed me with a longer life span then dad. “Thanks
Be to God”.
Beloved, at the end of the day, in every moment of our
lives, we only leave this world with our names and how we lived our lives.
Enjoy your special days, make every day new, and when it is your time to be
called home...make sure your name is well written in the Lambs Book of Life.
Here’s to another special day, and here is one day closer to
fifty-six.
Happy Birthday to Me (Dad’s hair color and mine are now the
same, at fifty-five). “Grey” =)
Pastor Tim.
