6 Decades

Upon reflection on the occasion of my 60th birthday

·         I have lived about 2/3rds of 60 years in Oklahoma

·         About 1/3^rd growing up with a great family

·         I spent 1/3^rd of 60 years in school

·         Over half of my years I have had with the bride of my youth

·         Half of my life as a father

·         About 10% of my life as a grandfather

·         About 10% of my 60 connected with the US Army

·         About 25% as pastor of Grace Bible Church

·         And 100% blessed by God

Regrets, I got them:

I would like do-overs...

• I regret spending too much time worried, not listening to God, pursuing stupid stuff, being envious or mad or self-absorbed.
• I regret not being better at communicating how much someone means to me
• Not being able to express appreciation and gratitude well
• I regret not trusting God more and enjoying the embrace of His love fully each day
• I regret ugly places in my heart that kept God’s light out
• I regret not saying “no” to my inflated self, the ways of the world and the devil
• I regret not loving people better by loving God’s way

I Do Not Regret:

• I Do Not Regret Time spent with family and friends
• I Do Not Regret wasting time watching the river pass by, ocean waves roll in, the sun setting, the stars shining
• I Do Not regret praying even though God brought things about in some way different than I had in mind
• I Do Not Regret having a variety of people in my life.  Some close and some as enemies.  (Can’t go with Will Rogers and his “never met a man I didn’t like” cause I have)But both those for me and those against me have brought something into my life that I needed and showed my something I needed to change. 
• I Do Not Regret having worked jobs that were hard, jobs that I didn’t like, jobs that diminished my ego.  Because it was on those jobs God showed me the dignity and value of every job and every person who does those jobs. 
• I Do Not Regret not being the wealthiest or most famous of people.  That requires character of a type I do not possess.
• I Do Not Regret not having a large church or well known ministry to boast about.  Things of that sort may have led me to think so well of myself and my methods that I would have stopped pursuing God and His ways while promoting and selling my own.  It may have been a distraction from what God wanted to say and do.  It may have kept me from the people God in His wisdom planned for me to share life with. 
• I Do Not Regret limited abilities, skills and talents which remind me to appreciate the abilities, skills and talents of others.

I Have Been Surprised By:

• I Have Been Surprised By God’s grace and mercy
• I Have Been Surprised By God’s presence and guidance
• I Have Been Surprised By The depth of people’s commitment to dark things, selfish ambitions and injustice.
• I Have Been Surprised By The determination people have to ignore or reject God.
• I Have Been Surprised By The beauty of people caring for another: husbands and wives, moms and dads, the hurting, learning, coaching, training, leading, healing, helping…
• I Have Been Surprised By God’s way over the ways of man.
• I Have Been Surprised By Ear hair
• I Have Been Surprised By The Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
• I Have Been Surprised By Cass, who still loves me though I drive her crazy at times.
• I Have Been Surprised By Family who put up with me and keeping coming back for more.
• I Have Been Surprised By Church folk who allow me to take them on a journey with God that doesn’t fit tradition or the text book, but is seeking God and seeing God in action
• I Have Been Surprised By Friends new and old who make room for me
• I Have Been Surprised By Seasons of life-it ought not be a surprise, but when seasons change I am often surprised
• I Have Been Surprised By Expectations of life-I have pictured things in my head going one way and then I am ticked off or disappointed about things not going that way.  Later to discover my plan would have missed God’s plan and His plan is better.
• I Have Been Surprised By My lack of growth and not getting it by this age
• I Have also Been Surprised By My growth and getting it at this age

Overall

6 decades is not so much

I feel inside like there is much to learn, to experience, to figure out, to do.  I feel as if I am at the starting line of something great. 

My body doesn’t bend, jump, keep up or recover as it once did.  The color is gone from my hair. 

Discovering more of God has opened more insights and understanding and spiritual doors than ever before. 

Enjoying life in God’s kingdom is new every morning and full of surprises every day. 

Life is but a vapor and this one has been a grand vapor.  I thank God for 60 years.  I am grateful that He has taken me on such a journey and thankful for the people He has allowed me to journey with.