"Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong;
Most of them are toil and sorrow; they pass quickly, and we are gone."
(Psalm 90: 10)
This past 79th birthday was not like any previous birthday that comes and goes like almost any other day. This one made me contemplate many things:
- First, how fast the years have past.
Serious health events can manifest themselves suddenly, although maybe developed quietly over years ; three months ago I had two strokes back to back. By God's grace and mercy, I recovered and retained my physical mobility and memory. This event motivated me to I start writing a biography of my life with Theresa while I can still remember and am physically able to write.
In my lifetime, God has spared me from death six times, each time causing me to examine the way I was living my life; simply because God created me for His purposes, not mine. I want to be a saint and live a life that is worthy of canonization, whether I am canonized or not. "But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise! Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust!" (Isaiah 26:19)
At age 79, I have seen several family members and best friends go home before me, leaving me with a deep longing to see them again; I loved them, my wife especially - fifty three years of blissful marriage.
I make an intentional effort each day to live and appreciate the present moment with those I love most: my children, family, and good friends.
Lastly, I examine my life daily: asking whether am I keeping my eyes fixed on what is above rather than what is below; simply speaking, I want to go to heaven to spend eternity with Jesus, the One who died to save my soul.
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