A couple of days ago was my birthday. I’m at that age where if people guess I’m a few years younger than I am, I feel really good about myself. Not long ago a 15-year-old girl, who was actually 14 but close enough to her next birthday that she claimed 15, questioned if I was older than her dad. Her dad is 20 years my junior! I felt fantastic. Her dad felt less than fantastic. I even felt “youthful”. After treating the almost 15-year-old girl to ice cream four days later, she admitted that she had said that to just make me feel good. I took note that she didn’t admit that before getting the ice cream. That could possibly come back to haunt her someday.  

There are a few things about birthdays and life I’ve learned over the years that I think are worth sharing.  

1. You will get there faster than you think.

Birthdays come around every year whether you want them to or not. It’s funny when we’re kids how we are excited about the next milestone in our lives. A while back when one of our granddaughters had a birthday coming soon, I asked her how old she was going to be. She said, “Six!” One of our grandsons was nearby and quickly piped up, “I’m six and a half!”   

We go from six and a half years old to suddenly wondering how we could be thirty already. Unless you’re like Paul McCartney who wrote “When I’m 64” when he was 14 years old, most young people never think too much about getting old.  

I encourage young people to think about it. Because you’re going to blink your eyes and ask, “How did this happen? I can’t believe I’m already ______ years old!”

Psalm 144:3-4

O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them,

     mere mortals, that you should think about them?

For they are like a breath of air;

     their days are like a passing shadow.

2. Embrace and use what you’ve learned. 

The more years you put behind you, the more wisdom you should be gaining. Every day brings another challenge. However, the older we get we find that the challenges are not always new. We are often able to say, “Been there, done that”.  

Old age and wisdom are something to be celebrated. When I first came to Florida as a pastor I was very fortunate to have the good judgment of several retired pastors available to me. They all had been there and done that. Now, decades later, I continue to draw from their words of wisdom. 

As your years go by be prepared for those with less experience to seek your wisdom.  

Job 12:12

Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.

3. Nothing changes, but you can make a difference in your circle.

It was King Solomon who said there was nothing new under the sun. Of course, he wasn’t talking about inventions and technology. He was talking about human nature. Solomon said, “What has been done, will be done again.” Knowing this and applying it properly is wisdom.  

When we graduated from high school we might have thought we could change the world. But then life happened. One of my favorite Statler Brothers songs was The Class of ‘57. The chorus says, “And the class of ‘57 had its dreams, We all thought we’d change the world with our great works and deeds. Or maybe we just thought the world would change to fit our needs. The class of ‘57 had its dreams.” After listing what they and their classmates did, the chorus changes at the end of the song. “And the class of ‘57 had its dreams. But living life, day-to-day is never like it seems. Things get complicated when you get past eighteen. But the class of ‘57 had its dreams.”  

As the years go by, we realize we’re probably not going to change the whole world. Although, we can make a difference in the circle of people our lives touch. That begins by loving God and loving people. As my circle overlaps your circle and your circle overlaps someone else’s circle, and so on and so on, we’ll never know the impact we’ve had until we reach Heaven. We need to focus on making a righteous impact.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

4. Living to quit isn’t much of a living. 

I appreciate those senior citizens who continue to find ways to be productive. There are things we can no longer do, but we can still do something. I appreciate Greg Gerber at https://forwardfrom50.com . Greg is specifically helping men and women over the age of 50 live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are truly passionate about doing. I encourage you to check out his website and read the stories.  

I know a man who recently turned 88 years old. He’s busy. Every day he has another project in front of him. Most importantly, he’s an encourager. He encourages others with his attitude, his words, and his example. I don’t know that he has a personal motto, but I think it should be “Never, never, never give up”.  

Don’t give up easily. Go out with a fight. It will be an encouragement to others. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Maybe I’ll see that soon-to-be 15-year-old girl next summer who will be soon-to-be 16. If she has the tongue-in-cheek comment again of telling me that I look 20 years younger than my actual age, you know what I’ll do? I will celebrate again! And YES... I will buy her ice cream!