Today is my birthday. The Lord has given me the gift of 69 years. That means today, I am entering into my 7th Decade on earth. My father lived here four years longer, my mother, 20 years longer than that- only the Lord knows what is ahead. My times are in His good hands. I earnestly pray they will be filled with the meaning that comes from being in the center of His will. I live to serve Him.
I preached my first sermon at 12 and was a pastor at 20. I believed, back then, that I would always be a Preacher, and probably a Pastor, all of my days. I have had a number of “secular” jobs along the way, but no other ambition or desire for my life. I was never interested in making money, believing God would always provide as I served Him. I am thankful for what we have bee able to do and for the many people we have shared life and ministry with. Now I neither preach nor pastor and wonder what God has in mind for me and my wife in the years ahead. I’m not complaining or fearful at all- just wondering and waiting on His direction and provision. I want to go out “with my boots on“.
Meanwhile, I have learned my personal identity is not tied up with being a Preacher or Pastor. That has taken a while (I miss those roles). I am also finding that my age and experience give me a vantage point from which to survey the church and evangelicalism, as well as a perch from which to culture watch. I want to understand better the world in which we live, as well as to understand far better, God and His purposes in this world and beyond. I hope to find a way to share more of what I see and learn.
