Friday, June 29, 2012

Musings on Turning 30


There’s a part of me that is, at the moment, a little nervous.  On Wednesday, July 4, 2012, I turn 30 years old.  Now some of you (who are over 30) are thinking, “30 is still young!”  But I can guarantee that none of us, when we were 17, thought 30 was young, nor could we envision what life would be like when we got here.  At 17, life for me revolved around high school football and my future in the NFL (dream big right?).  For my first car, all that mattered was does it run and can I afford to fill the gas tank (and if it look cool; that was a plus).  At 30 I start wondering about things like “crash-test ratings” and “latch systems.”  At 17, I wondered who I’d go to the prom with.  At 30, between working and taking care of a baby girl, I’m just hoping to find a few hours during the week to take my wife Amanda out to dinner.  At 17, I got a summer job to pay for stuff I didn’t need while at 30, things like a mortgage and health insurance are what’s important.   At 17, I knew everything I’d ever need to know (and would let you know it too).  At 30, I realize just how much I have left to learn.  At 17, 9:30 on a Friday night was party time. At 30 it’s bedtime.  At 17, I hoped by 30, I’d have no regrets.  At 30, there’s a lot about my life that I regret; mistakes I’ve made, bridges I’ve burned; things I wish I could go back and change.  But contrary to what I believed at 17, life doesn’t end at 30. And while I think about all the things I’ve failed to do like jumping out of an airplane or running a marathon, there’s a part of me that is really excited for the adventure that lay ahead.

As I reminisce about my last 30 years I’m thankful for the grace of God evident in my life.  God has brought me a long way; just ask my parents!  Now I get to look forward to the next 30 years.  Like Tim McGraw, I hope they’re “the best years of my life.”  I’ll continue to grow in the ministry to which God has entrusted me.  I’ll continue to grow older with my wife.  I’ll get to see my daughter grow into a young woman, graduate, get married, maybe even have children of her own.  I’ll even get to see her turn 30 (All of this, of course, God willing).

We spend so much of our time fearing the unknown; scared of what lay ahead.  The reality is life is exciting and is meant to be experienced.  With new experiences come greater wisdom, understanding, and the charge to pass on what we’ve learned to the next generation.  So let the “over-the-hill” jokes commence, but as I pass this milestone in life, my calling and my resolve to live everyday in light of God’s glory has never been stronger.