Being 40ish Is Not Bad!

 I am 47. There, I said it! Yes, I am 47 and I have earned each and every year that I have been here on this planet. For the first time, I am comfortable in my own skin and frankly, I do not worry what you think of me! This may not be revolutionary if you do not know me, but if you do, you may need to have the memo read again. I AM 47! In all honesty, the numbers are not what define me. It is my journey that defines me. Not just pieces of my life, but the whole, great big picture. The good parts, but also the bad scenes and how I handled those scenes.

There have been scenes in my life that I thought would never end! Those were the times that the only way I survived was that God was truly carrying me through it all. I once had a kind lady during one of my darkest hours tell me, quite forcefully actually, that I would thank God for my journey. I remember distinctly going home in an absolute rant that went like this, “Seriously, this is my fate, to feel abandoned, worthless and truly at the end of my rope! Well, get this, I will never be thankful for this time in my life!”  I felt this way for a very long time and all of a sudden, a light switched on and I was truly thankful for the journey. It makes me real! It makes me a disciple of God’s love for us! 

I am ever mindful of the passage in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die

a time to plant and a time to uproot

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a tie to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace

 

At age 47, I now am getting this! All things happen for a reason! Which brings me to this final thought, an awesome Aunt of mine gave me a poem that gave her strength during storms in her life, and it sums this up:

 There’s A Reason (Author Unknown)

For every pain that we must bear,
For every burden, every care –
There’s a reason

For every grief that bows the knee,
For every tear-drop that is shed –
There’s a reason

For every hurt, for every plight,
For every lonely, pain-racked night –
There’s a reason

But if we trust God as we should,
All this must work our for our good.
He knows the reason.

Speaking of great females in my life, I could not have asked for better Grandmothers! This is a favorite picture of me in my Grandma Leona’s hat. Oh what a journey she had! One element that I always think about is that her mother forbid her to marry my Grandpa, she did it anyway and I am here! My Grandma was a pretty timid person, so to take a stand on the man she loved was truly monumental. This picture represents strength and stamina!

What is it like to be 47? Amazing! I have gone from the wonderment (and sometimes pain) of a child, the turmoil as an adolescent, the uprooting of the 20s and 30s and the steadfast knowledge that God is good, he has a plan and my job is to just enjoy life! I am not in control, and the ride can be fun and filled with happy adventures! If you are joining the club of being 40ish, the best thing is to just be excited for where you are and do not let the past define you. God has a plan and you are in that plan to spread the good news that there is more than just this world.