The Fifties

Psalm 16: 7-11 NLT

 ⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

I turned 52 in February, so my fifties are just starting.   So far, there have been many challenges.  Nick is still struggling with several issues, and at 26, there’s not much we can do to help him.  I’ve had some minor health issues (even minor surgery stinks) and Tracy continues to struggle with her back.  Haley’s gymnastics are taking a toll in broken toes, ankles, etc.  With so many hours in the gym, her grades are not quite what her dad knows she is capable of, and at 15, her dating and driving are growing fatherly concerns.  My perfect job has evolved, and isn’t exactly what it was expected to be.  We have struggled to find a church here, and are probably going to end up Methodists (so please pray for us – and the Methodists).  Tracy is now working at the local zoo and enjoying her time with new animals. 

And I find myself going back to the second verse of the hymn I mentioned when I talked about my teens – The Longer I Serve Him:

Every need He is supplying,
Plenteous grace He bestows;
Every day my way gets brighter,
The longer I serve Him,
The sweeter He grows.

The problems we face are just the way of life in a sinful world, and they cannot take away my joy unless I let them.  I heard someone say you couldn’t climb a rock if its surface was completely smooth.  Life’s like that.  We learn more from the bumps and bruises than the mountaintop highs.  And while I still don’t like the things that are not exactly according to my plans – that are hard, or unpleasant, I have found as I’ve matured (I refuse to say aged although Tracy might say you can’t use mature and Jim in the same sentence), that life is good, and getting better.  Things that used to bother me don’t anymore (usually).  I see blessings in small things – like a close in parking place or a short line for lunch.  I’m continually blessed with new friends like Maurice, Chuck, Bob, Kris and Jon. 

¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

And from here on, I know in my heart, that despite the problems, the tears, the pains, and the sad times, my relationship with Jesus is growing deeper.  He wants to share His joy with others through me, and if I can just get “me” out of the way, He can bless us all.  And that’s something to celebrate!

The Forties

Psalm 16: 7-11 NLT

 ⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… (Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities)

My forties were just what Dickens wrote about.  The best of times included more career growth and an opportunity to live and work in Brazil.  We were there in Sao Paulo for nearly three years.  I loved the job – I’ve never worked as hard – or played as hard.  We had fun – vacations in Rio, Manaus, Las Vegas, Colorado.   Tracy had an opportunity to be the stay at home mom.   Fancy dinner parties with long dresses and tuxedos.  We made some incredible friends including Ken and Mary.  Then we came back home.  Tracy stayed home and I changed jobs.  The worst of times began - Enron collapsed and the entire energy business was in upheaval.  Nick struggled with the return to the US and trying to enter a high school mid year as a junior.  I took a step back job wise looking for a fresh start, and we moved to Florida.  There we experienced six hurricanes in 18 months, including a Category 4 going over the building I was working in.  Tracy started experiencing some health issues with her back.  I left my job before getting another and learned what it’s like to be unemployed for six months.  But I also learned to have daily quiet times and I kept a journal of my pilgrimage and grew closer to God as He sustained me. 

¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
I was blessed with a new job that was a perfect fit for my skills and desires.  I know was God’s plan for me in Indiana. 

The Thirties

Psalm 16: 7-11 NLT

 ⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

My thirties would appear to be the “best years”.  Professionally, I was with a stable company and getting lots of opportunities to grow and develop.  ♥ Tracy ♥ and I got married.  We spent our honeymoon in San Francisco and Monterrey California!  We built our dream home in Sugar Land.  Haley came along and we were so richly blessed.  We celebrated – our ♥wedding♥ and Haley’s birth with many showers.  Soon we were involved at Williams Trace Baptist Church.  The adult choir, teaching Sunday school, committees, and the deacons all provided us opportunities for service and fun.  New friends – Bryan, Jimmie, Doc, Phil, Al, Jose, and many many more.  Deacon ordination and deacon family parties.  Deacon meetings and barbeque!  Fellowship, friendship and service.

⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
And even in the sadness and grieving when my parents died, I was sustained. I knew all this was blessing from heaven and my relationship with Jesus grew as I leaned on Him and learned His ways. 

The Twenties

Psalm 16: 7-11 NLT

 ⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

The decade of my twenties was a bit tumultuous.  I got married at twenty and finished college. I took a job in Houston and left Knoxville moving 950 miles from home.  We left a lot behind:  family, friends, church, and even my Tennessee twang (really - it used to be worse).   We struggled to make new friends as I worked too hard and left her alone too much.  We slept in on Sundays and made few common friends.  Eventually we divorced, and I looked for solace the only place I knew – the local church.  And I made more good friends – Dennis, Chuck, Linda, Bobby and others that I still love and stay in touch with.  I got to teach youth Sunday school and be part of some young lives.   I got to hold the guys back so the girls could get to the food at the fellowships.  I got asked “How far is too far?” every year.  I got to take high school guys to see wrestling matches (and while some think the action in the ring is scripted, I assure the fights among the crowd members is not).  We played softball and racquetball and I developed a real appreciation for Mexican food!.  It has been a blessing to reconnect with many of these youth with facebook and see how our Lord is using these “youth” in His service.  Gregg, Brian, Deanna, and Clay to name a few. 

And in the storms of the unpardonable sin of divorce and being nearly a thousand miles from home, He reached out to me. 

⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

I experienced Jesus always with me; right beside me.  I felt shaken, but He held me securely in His hand.  I began to comprehend the difference in happiness and joy.  Happiness was situation based and uncontrollable.  Joy from Christ is indwelling and sustaining.  I can choose to be joyful, no matter my situation.

The Teens

Psalm 16: 7-11 NLT

 ⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.
 ⁸ I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

 ⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
 ¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
 ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Normally when I get the privilege of preparing a series of devotions, I get my assignment early.  I spend weeks thinking about it and reading the lesson and related scriptures.  Ideas come and go, until they gel in my head and eventually migrate into the word processor before the electronic trip to Beth and David for clean up and publication.  This time, I had a shorter prep time and postponed my studying.  I got a reminder note of my due date and even took a vacation day to write.  Feels like cramming for a test in college. 

Then this morning on the way to breakfast with my group of brothers, the AM radio played an old hymn:  The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows.  The chorus goes:

The longer serve Him, the sweeter He grows,
The more that I love Him, more love He bestows;
Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows,
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

This series is on joy, and I got to thinking of how God has been with me over my decades and how He has sustained me in good and bad, in abundance and in want, with others and alone and about the difference between joy and happiness.  

For today, I think of the decade with my teen years.  I grew up in a home with a working mom and an alcoholic dad.  We had times of want and times of conflict.  I was active in my youth group and Christ was a very real part of my life.  He guided me through high school with good grades and into college.  I experienced my dad’s attempted suicide, and watched him quit drinking.  I held part time jobs and got a car (‘73 Nova Super Sport – Maroon with white racing stripes white letter tires and rally wheels).  I made good Christian friends (many of whom I still have contact with) and we had so many fun times together – Gary, Rod, and Chris to name a few.  We played softball, we studied, we sang 50’s music and gospel, we taught Sunday school, and we prayed.  And I experienced God with me.  A growing relationship and a foundation I leaned on.  A lot. 

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.

He guided me, even in the dark times.  It’s a blessing that I can look back now and know He was there and remember the joy and peace with my Lord. 

Some become fishermen

Luke 5:1-11 (The Message)

Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. … When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women." They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

Who do you see as the best fisherman in the story today?  Simon?  He started the day with empty nets and ended up with two overflowing boats.  Jesus?  He started the day with a huge crowd clamoring to hear Him, and ended the day with three people following Him.  There’s another fisherman out there too that we haven’t looked at – just as Jesus chose apostles to carry his message, Satan is out there fishing for souls too.  His bait is different – often appearing more exciting and appealing, but the result of taking his bait is different too and it appears that he caught all the people who listened to Jesus but three.  Just look at what those three were a part of!  Our own spiritual heritage includes these apostles. 

Do you ever get hung up on numbers?   As an engineering manager, I do, and when I was teaching Sunday School, I often considered attendance numbers as a kind of grade on my teaching.  But then I would think about the person who led Billy Graham to know Jesus.  Although I heard his story, I cannot remember his name, but look at the millions of people who have had an opportunity to know Jesus because someone led Billy to Jesus.  Am I listening to Jesus?  Am I willing to leave all I have to follow Him?  Would I be happy to win three from a huge crowd?

You can learn from better fishermen

Luke 5:4-7 (Amplified)

He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul.  And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking,  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 

God has blessed us all with talents, and He expects us to use them to bless others and bring glory to Him.  In our bible passage today, Simon’s talent was fishing.  He was a professional who made his living, supported others, and fed many through his talent for fishing.  He was good, and I believe he was pretty confident in that skill.  I say that because he was confident enough to try and explain to Jesus how to fish.  He didn’t realize that he was talking to a better fisherman. 

I admire the relationship that Jesus and Simon show here when it’s OK for Simon to express exactly what he thought and felt.  No hesitation.  No muttering under his breath and grudgingly obeying.  Honest, authentic expression of what he felt.  But more than that, he knew who Jesus was.  After his vent, he said, “…but because you are the one saying it, Lord, I’ll do it”.  How’s your relationship with the Master (your talent goes here).  Can you be honest with Him all the time?  Do you also listen closely enough to hear what He’s trying to teach you?  And when He speaks, do you obey?