Wednesday, May 2, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...AGAIN??

OK, I had a birthday last month.

I'm not gonna tell you how old I am now - but it rhymes with *fifty-eight*...

I celebrated with some local firefighters who responded to the smoke alarms set off by the candles on my birthday cake.  They were quite nice - they stopped counting at 30...

Seriously, I cannot believe that I have reached this rather stunning age.

(I picked the word *stunning* because it was the adjective LEAST likely to describe how I feel at this ripe ol' age!)

Usually I like my birthday - not so much the AGE - but the fact that on that one day I like to feel kinda special.  Like I'm someone important.  Just for one day...

But this year, I just felt old.

I had a grand old pity party - treated myself to some Misery Cake, with a scoop of Poor Me Ice Cream, a mug of Pout Soda, and followed it all up with a gift of "Waa Waa Waa."

I don't know why it hit me so hard this year.

Maybe it's 60 looming??

The funny thing is this - I really admire older ladies.  There are a few in my Bible Study who are in their 70's.  I've spent quite a bit of time around even older ladies - in their 80's and 90's.  The thing is this - I am very attracted to their inside stuff.

The part of them that just glows with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I love being with them - I guess I'm just not ready to BE one of them.

So, God and I had to have a little *pow-wow* this year about my lousy attitude.

He helped me come to terms with some rather powerful stuff.


HE planned my birth.


HE planned my life - every single moment of it - before I was born.


HE has wakened me up every single day of the last 58 years for a reason.


HE has a purpose for me to fulfill while I am alive.


HE has a place for me after I die.


HE thinks I'm special because I am made in His image.


HE likes the parts of me that resemble His Son. 


HE is more attracted to my inside stuff than my outward appearance.


And HE thinks I am special - someone very important.


Yup, quite a reality check, huh?!

It's all so human to get caught up in the numbers - the creeping onset of old(er) age.  The way it's changing us, making so many things more difficult - walking, sleeping, thinking, remembering.  We ache with pains we haven't had before.  We have to manage *health issues* that aren't talked about Glamour magazine.

We are no longer candidates for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue - (just to set the record straight, I was NEVER a candidate for that...)

It's all so human to worry about temporal stuff, isn't it?

So, this year, this birthday, I have to battle against my natural tendencies. I have to battle against my self-focus.  I have to battle against worrying about the calendar.  I have to battle against...well, against me.

Again, my birthday tempted me to focus on the unimportant - the temporals, as I like to call them.

But this year, God is asking me to focus on the eternals.

The truth of how He feels about me - and what His purposes are for my life.

The truth of these eternal facts...

God created ME - and He died for ME - and He loves ME...He calls ME friend.

May God give me a grace this year that begins to fill my spirit with His gentleness, His kindness, His mercy.

May God grant me the wisdom and discernment that comes from life's experiences.

May God begin to grow me into one of those older women that I so admire.

And most of all, when I look into the mirror this year, may I resemble Him more and more...

May I just glow with the presence of the Holy Spirit!


Do you like birthdays or not?


(SIDENOTE: I am being driven to distraction with the new Blogger changes. Please forgive the appearance of my posts lately.  Evidently, the Blogger gremlin is automatically changing the formatting of my posts.  My double-spacing is magically changing into triple-spacing sometimes, and sentences are arbitrarily indenting themselves against my will.  Doesn't Blogger realize that OLD ladies DO NOT LIKE CHANGE?!)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

11 comments:

  1. Sweety, you are precious, and very lovely. You definitely do not look your age. Age is just a number, do not worry about it. I love you.

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  2. Happy belated birthday Sharon!! I loved this post; I need to print it out as a reminder of the beauty of aging in God's eyes :) I'm three years behind you, hubby is one year ahead of you, so we are all in that generation of reflecting and looking back I think on our lives and wondering about the future, but I think we don't have to worry too much about it because we know who is in control of it and we know He always knows what is best :)

    betty

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  3. Hi Sharon,

    That is a path I have been travelling for some time. Suffice it to say, I am older than you, just a bit!! lol - but I do not settle into the role of old woman easily, I don't think I ever will. That said I am aware that I am not as agile as I once was or as quick thinking.

    Take Care - God Bless

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  4. Sharon,
    Thank you for your honesty. A few months ago I had my 65th birthday, and it was the worst one of my life. I felt much as you described above.

    And yes, like you,I want to be one of those "little old ladies" who exudes the presence of His Spirit.
    I guess perhaps "being there" is great, but "getting there" - not so much. :)
    blessings to you - Marsha

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  5. You are a blessing, Sharon. You make me laugh with the pity cake. You'll feel young around me...I'm 63.

    Hugs,
    Mary

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  6. You're just a kid my friend!! And a precious and beautiful one at that!

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

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  7. For the most part, I love birthdays but I found myself getting in the dumps a time or two at the approach of another birthday.

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  8. Sharon....I can't tell you how perfect this post is for me! Today's my birthday and little did I know spending a few moments blog visiting before going to bed would encourage me so! Your words really spoke to my heart! Bless you!

    HE IS FAITHFUL!

    Jackie

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  9. Age is only a number. You are beautiful. I am 59. You are a blessing. You have a whole lot of wonderful new adventures ahead of you. Sandie

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  10. Amen...Happy Birthday...my hubby just turned 58 also. For some reason this year my birthday got to me and I am younger, but I think it has been what has spurred me on to some improvements in my life. God has also allowed me to enjoy some 80 year old women and I so admire them, so I am also looking forward to aging with grace and hopefully spiritual wisdom.

    Enjoy this year and all the plans your Heavenly Father has for you.

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  11. OK, did I know about your birth date and forget to wish you a Happy Birthday... or did I wish you a Happy Birthday and already forget that I wished it?

    When you reach the ripe old age that rhymes with fifty, you forget things.

    As you know, I struggled with this. Then, I just decided to go with it. I just want to be be used of God in THIS season. I want to be used in every season.

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)