Birthdays

This is birthday week in our family.  Yesterday would have been my mother's 91st birthday.  On Thursday my mother-in-law will turn 90.  And today is my day. 

Birthdays mean something a little different as we get older.  For children, birthdays mean parties and presents.  For those of us in a different season of life, birthdays are a time for looking back and for looking forward.  Birthdays are a time to reflect on God's goodness to us thus far, and to look forward with great anticipation to what He might do next!

As I look back on my life, the word amazed comes to mind over and over.

I'm amazed at all the places we have lived, and all the many other places around the world where we have traveled.  That a shy little girl from small town South Carolina has been to all these places, met all these people, experienced all these locations and cultures and food......it amazes me!

I'm amazed at all the ways God has blessed me.  At all the ways I have seen Him at work in my life.  His goodnesses to me are too numerous to mention here.  I can only say that I stand amazed!

I look back and realize anew how truly I am blessed.  And I look forward with great anticipation to see how God will continue to work in my life.  I look forward with a renewed sense of determination to follow where He leads, to be all that He desires me to be, to be my utmost for His highest.

Some people seem bothered by birthdays and by getting older.  I'm not really one of those people.  I feel blessed and grateful to have lived this long.  Longer than two of my grandparents lived.  Longer than many of my ancestors lived.  Although these days 63 doesn't really seem all that old, not so very long ago it would have been the outer limit of a person's expected life span.

My grandmother always said that age is a state of mind, that you are as old as you feel.  With that criteria, some days I am really, really old!!  But truthfully, most of the time I don't feel old at all.  In fact, I don't think of being in my 60s as being old.  I'm not sure what this is supposed to feel like, anyway!!  I just know that I am grateful for every day of life!

And so today, as I celebrate my 63rd birthday, I'm grateful.  And I'm amazed.  Amazed at God's goodness.  Amazed at His grace.  Just amazed.
After all these years.......amazed!

"I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My sould makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together."  (Psalm 34:1-3 ESV)