Glad in the Lord

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

Seventy-four years old today, June 9 I entered this world. Some people might say "Wow". I say "Thank You, Lord". It does seem unreal that I could be that old or young, probably depending on a person's perspective, especially since I've had breast cancer twice (I may share about that in a future article). The news yesterday told of a young news cameraman who was electrocuted as he was setting up for a live broadcast. He was only twenty-three years old. We don't understand why those things happen, especially to one so young, and the Lord gives others of us so many more years. But I do know that as long as He leaves us on this earth He has a work for us to do.

I've been reading a Psalm a day for over ten years. I read Psalm 1 on the first day of a month and then Psalm 31 on the first day of the next month. It takes five months to read all one hundred and fifty Psalms. Then I start over on the first day of the next month. On the thirty-first day of the longer months I repeat one and in February I read three on the last day. I said all of this because today, the ninth of June, my Psalm was 39. Verse 5 says, "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreath; and mine age is as nothing before thee." (KJV) So God is telling me that from His perspective even seventy-four years isn't really very long.

Even with that word from Him, I've been wondering why God has given me these seventy-four years and may give me even more. It's not that I deserve them because I'm any better than others, regardless of the fact that I'm a preacher's wife. It's not because I've earned them with any good thing I may have done. It is just part of His plan for my life. Of course I have the choice of cooperating with God or not in that plan. That's because He has given us a free will. We are free to accept Jesus as our Saviour or to reject Him. After we become a child of God, we are also free to choose to walk with Him each day or to walk down a different path. But we are not free to choose the consequences of that choice. I think that is something that many people do not realize. When we choose to go our own way it only leads to frustration, disappointment, and even sorrow. God's way leads to joy and peace and a real sense of satisfaction.

For my remaining days I want to walk each day as He directs. I won't follow Him perfectly, of course, but will try to be sensitive to His prompting. If you are His child, you also have the same choice that I have. How will you respond?