Thoughts On My Birthday–Part One June 24, 2009

I’m 38 today…and that fact alone has my mind racing…because…I’m actually FEELING it.  There is gray hair invading my head, my back is constantly sore and it takes me a lot longer to recover from a long run than it did just three years ago.

I am not sure how you approach birthdays…but this thought has hit me more than once this week, “I have most likely lived over half of my life.  I seriously doubt I will make it to 74…so what adjustments will I need to make to have a strong second half and finish the game well?”

(BTW…Scripture says in Psalm 90:12 that we should number our days.  For me this activity was not depressing.  I refuse to ignore the obvious…that one day I will take a dirt nap and leave this place…that will happen and I cannot control it; however, I can control how I live until that point!)

#1 – I want to relentlessly pursue Jesus…and continually surrender to the fact that He is pursuing me.

I don’t want Jesus to be my hobby…or someone to help me get chills and feel emotional…

I want to be obsessed with Him!  Obsessed…someone who is obsessed with Christ can’t quit talking about Him…will obey Him the first time He commands…continually understands His position in the universe as the Most High God and is willing to do WHATEVER He asks…WHENEVER He asks it.

#2 – I want to love Lucretia like Christ loves His church.

I have been thinking so much about Ephesians 5:25-33 lately.  I want…

• To give myself up for her…
• To speak words to her that affirm her and leave her radiant
• Love her as I love myself
• Continually understand that we are one, we are in this together, we are a team!
• Be a man that she doesn’t have to work very hard to respect.

She is my wife…my best friend and the one God has called me to spend the rest of my life with.  I don’t want her to ever have to guess whether or not I love her…I want her to know it!

#3 – To Be A Godly Father to My Little Girl.

She turns two on Saturday…TWO…where in the heck did those two years go?

I am realizing more and more that a call to parenthood is ALSO a calling to discipleship.  (Deuteronomy 6:4-8.)  I cannot pass off this responsibility to church or Lucretia…I MUST lead this charge.

AND…it is IMPOSSIBLE to disciple someone if I am not spending time with them.

I want her to have my very best…not my leftovers.  I want to communicate to her through the way I spend my time with her that she is valued and not a burden.

I don’t want to use the lame line, “I show her I love her by providing for her.”  Paychecks and purchases will not replace me tucking her into bed every night and singing “Amazing Grace” to her.  (BTW…that’s her favorite song!)

She is my little girl…she always will be…and I want to love her with everything I’ve got…thus making it nearly impossible for some young punk to come along and steal her heart!

(I will let her date when she is 14; however, she cannot use toothpaste, soap or deodorant until she is 30!)