I recently turned sixty.  A lot of water has passed beneath the bridge of my life with what feels like dizzying speed.  How could I have lived six decades already?  Where in the world has all the time gone?

As I reflect, I am struck first and foremost by a deep sense of gratitude.  God has blessed me with so many precious people who have deeply impacted me: parents, family, friends, wife, children, and grandchildren.  I have been given so much more than I deserved through the years: food, clothing, shelter, and health.  There have been incredible and undeserved opportunities to serve God and help others to come to know and grow in their walks with Him all over the world.

Of course, there are many regrets.  I openly acknowledge my many shortcomings, failures, character flaws, and sins.  I wish I were more patient, more humble, more kind, more emotionally engaged and mature.  I wish I were a better listener, asked more and better questions, had a greater sense of teachability and curiosity.

I somehow thought I would be significantly further along in my personal and spiritual maturity by now.  And while I have known many precious moments with Him, I believed that walking closely with Jesus would be easier and sweeter by now than it actually is.  My Christian life is still a daily struggle of wrestling with sin, character flaws, and bad habits.

Beyond this, there have been many deep heartaches and profound disappointments.  Some family and friends have disheartened me by walking away from the faith.  I’ve also caught myself asking: What has my life meant and accomplished?  I had big dreams in my youth.  Have I really followed Jesus whole-heartedly?  Has my life truly mattered and made a difference, making a lasting impact that genuinely honors God?

Nevertheless, in the face of all this, God’s goodness and faithfulness has been undeniable and unwavering.  I see without question the kindness, grace, and patience of a compassionate God who continues to love, forgive, and provide for me a life I never dreamed possible and the privilege to be used by Him in ways I never deserved or could have imagined.

This life has been, is, and always will be, a gift.  And now that I am fast-approaching the increasingly evident tail-end of it, Joe Rigney’s words hold a special significance: “Those at the beginning and the end tell those of us in the middle: This was you: weak, frail, dependent, and needy.  This is you: weak, frail, dependent, and needy.  This will be you: weak, frail, dependent, and needy.  You are a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow.  And your life is not your own.  It is a gift.”

Thank You, Lord, for creating, loving, and saving me.  Thank You for continuing to transform and conform me to the image of Your beloved Son.  Thank You for graciously giving me sixty years of life.  And thank You for the astonishing hope of eternal life in Christ that enables me to look to the future with unspeakable joy versus devastating dread or deluded denial.  You truly are a gracious, kind, and loving God!