TURNING FIFTY
by Randall Worley (Transformational Thinking)
This week I celebrated my fifty birthday and have been reflecting a lot. I trust that my thoughts are not interpreted as being self absorbed. But I felt it would be remiss if I did not share with you some of the things I have been feeling. I am sure that many can relate to thinking too much about what you could have done or should have done in life. The pages of our life calender begin peeling away and then accelerate into a pace that becomes a blur. For years I have been saying that the lessons of life are not learned in a course but on a course. I think I am finally beginning to get it. Don't misunderstand,the learning curve for me is still rather steep. Like most people the goals I have sought to accomplish have been greatly influenced by deadlines. Isn't interesting that when we want to accomplish something we set what we call "dead--lines" for ourselves. In other words if it does not happen within the time we set for ourselves the dream or aspiration dies. Fixating on what did not happen can cause you to feel if as you are going nowhere and forget that you are "now-here." Our minds are constantly in motion being attracted and distracted by things that will not matter in time. Time taunts us with the unfinished and threatens us with insufficient funds.
My wife has a plack in our house that consistently reminds me of three profoundly simple things that are really simply profound. It says LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. Most of us take ourselves too seriously and as a result miss the moments when eternity invades time. Eternal life is not something we were intended to experience when we die. Eternal life is not measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, or centuries. It is not a length of existence but a quality of living. Being married for 30 years to a woman that has taught me what I know about unconditional love, having 3 sons that are now young men that I am so proud of, two daughters-in-love, and a absolutley stunning grand daughter has caused me to appreciate where I am, not just where I have been or where I am going. When Penny and I were married we selected the songs for our wedding. One of them that has remained our song to this day is "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce. Here are just a few of the lyrics.
"If I could put time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd do is to save everyday till eternity passes away just to spend them with you. If I could make the days last forever, if words could make wishes come true, I'd save every day like a treasure and then again would spend them with you"
If you were to ask me in the past what is the greatest day in my life or what I was looking froward to the most I would have referenced some event or accomplishment. But really the greatest day of my life is today. Faith functions only in "the now". " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen." Pardon what seems to be overstating the point but now is not 5 minutes or 5 days from now or it can't be now. In the eternal realm, outside of time of where God dwells there is only now. He is there; not was there at the creation and is there at the cross as well as here at the moment I am typing each letter all at the same time. Mind numbing I know but still true.
Over the years I have watched countless sporting events that have been won by a coach that knows when to take a time out. I have seen teams that have been behind by what seemed to be an insurmountable margin that came back and won just by taking a time out. So I am taking a time out to get a new perspective and experience the awesome power of now.
On a personal note I want to express my profound appreciation to those of you that so generously sent gifts for my birthday. The value of your friendship over the years is incalcuable.
