It's hard to believe. I've lived 39 years, 364 days of my life, and in just a couple of minutes that will officially change over to 40 years, 0 days. Wow! I can't figure out if the time has flown by or dragged like a snail on crutches.
Age 40 is supposed to be a dangerous time for a man, mainly because of the typical mid-life crisis. We buy motorcycles and other "youthful" but expensive toys, make stupid decisions (And all the women say: "At what age do you men NOT make stupid decisions??"), try things we couldn't even do when we were 20, and generally become depressed over our fleeting youthfulness.
I don't want to be like that. Okay, so the reality is I'm too poor in the American sense of the word to buy the expensive toys. But I can still make the stupid decisions and get depressed. Hey! Those are free of charge!
But why? Why get depressed? Why be sad? Yes, my body is headed in a direction that I don't want it to go but my spirit is a completely different story. I, the true David Hicks, not the body you see designed to interact with this world, but the man inside, am headed toward God. I am following Jesus.
No, I'm not perfect!! Yes, I struggle! But my struggles are serving to make me a better person, a better servant. My spiritual strength is growing even as my physical strength weakens.
Frankly I'm tired of the thirties. I'm looking forward to the forties. I want to grow - in faith, in love, in hope, in peace, in joy, in wisdom, in shoe size (oh, wait.... that one is too big as it is), in boldness. I want God to use me in His kingdom's service in ways and on levels greater than ever before. That can only happen by going forward, not while looking back.
I shared a made-up proverb of mine with my wife this morning on Facebook: "Focus on your outer beauty and the best you can do over time is 'They look great for their age.' Focus on your inner beauty and you can be drop-dead gorgeous at age 90." I want to focus on that inner beauty,...well,...handsomeness, if you will.
I'm forty now. The thirties are gone forever now. But with God in my life, that is just fine with me.
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