Almost Half a Century

I turned 49 today...not quite 50, but getting close!

Here it is, my forty-ninth birthday, and almost a half century has passed since I arrived to this world. I make it a habit to try to write something on most of my birthdays. I have missed one here and there. But I do like to reflect back on my life, and year 49 was one for my memory banks! I was only half-kidding when I told people, that when Jay left for the Middle East on deployment for the Army, our world back home went to crap. But we won't re-hash that bit of misery, with one of our dogs dying, my hip replacement, my wife's hospital stay due to an exotic virus, or her debilitating fall through an attic floor, 12 feet to a concrete floor below!

Nope - I just want to talk about the progression of change over my years, because I really am at a unique stage in life. I am entering the ministry as a chaplain; I obtained ordination last year just after Jay left for the Middle East, and I am almost finished with my Masters in Divinity. I am in my sixth year as a school resource officer; although I ended up at a different school, I love my job, and the opportunities I get to impact young people so they have a brighter future brings me joy every day. I know that one part of my job where I excel, is introducing these kids to a police officer that they can get close to, without fear that I am out to get them or throw them in jail. And that approachability and rapport I build with them lets me get close enough to talk to them about other police officers, and help them see things from a different perspective than the normal skewed view portrayed by all mainstream media.

I also have a son who is somehow following along in some of my steps. I won't talk about him too much, but it is just neat sometimes to know your own son at least has similar interests, like Christian leadership, and personal training. Which takes me back to my fitness days; that is one thing that has really taken a step back in the last couple of years. One thing age has done to this big guy, is humble me in my physical abilities. I used to be able to lift a heck of a lot of weight, run sprints, hike mountains, and do martial arts. Now, I am slowly trying to get back to where I can hike again. I believe I could, but it would have to be short distances, up a small mountain. The heavy weightlifting days are long gone. Now I lift some light dumbbells and interval train with my exercise bike, and sometimes punch my punching bag and wooden dummy. When the weather is somewhat comfortable, I walk my neighborhood. I even had to step back from my martial arts/ wing chun classes. This old body just 'ain't what it used to be,' and I sometimes really regret that.

But then there is all of the knowledge I have gained, and the positive experience I have had writing so many papers about my faith, and theology, and the church. It has really helped me cling to the words from Romans; "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2, ESV). I have read the Bible four times now, and each time through renews my mind that much more. I began this brief post by talking about my arrival to this world. Romans 12:2, and other verses like it, plus my hyperawareness that I still suffer from while keeping up with world events, help confirm to me that we were all meant for a better world than this. "Your Kingdom come, your will be done," Heavenly Father. May we do the best we can until that day.

In Christ---

JEF