Last week, I had a birthday. I'm kind of squirrely about birthdays. I tend to be shy (more than tend) and am uncomfortable with that kind of attention. It did set in motion a lot of thinking about the passage of years - thoughts about legacy - thoughts about having made a difference - thought about people whose lives have passed into eternal life. I also have been having trouble in the last few years equating the age on my driver's license with what seems like a rapid passage of time. Not too long ago, I looked at people who were my present age - not as elderly - but certainly not spring chickens. But what can you do?
I know that the later years are a time when the person looks at the totality of their life - what have they done - what is their legacy - and, most importantly, did they make a difference in the world. To put all of this into a spiritual context, we reach a time of judgment at the time we die. There is one question we are asked by God - a question that comes from everything Jesus said in the Gospels: Is the world a better place because you passed through it? My answer this week: I think so. I hope so. I do know that I tried my best in a lot of ways.
I have been blessed with an abundance of friends, a plethora of people who seem to like me - for reasons that I cannot understand. I received a lot of e-cards and notes on my birthday. They made me feel good. Now it is time to think about the next phase. I know that one of the changes to make will come shortly. I'll have this long-awaited opportunity to get my act together. I'm determined to do it.
So happy birthday to me. God has been good to me. My friends have been wonderful to me. As the photo above shows, now I must wipe the cake off my face and get back to work. I truly don't have much time left to work - as will become clear shortly. But I do have time to relax and to grow and hopefully continue to become a better person and friend. I might even have time to play!