I’ve not been writing much lately. The summer projects consumed my wife and me. We built a deck and my wife is trying to finish up her sidewalk project. A friend came and put in the sliding glass door for our deck entrance to the dining area of our home. In doing these things the feel of our home has changed.

I’m driving a school bus for a middle school and an elementary school. It is interesting to say the least and probably consumes most of my time during the day. My kids are trying, but I love them all.

My wife and I stay busy together as well. She heads a group of over forty older folks called the 50+ Group. We meet once a month for a lunch and devotional and sometimes we all meet somewhere for breakfast. I’m apt to be called upon to do things like premarital counseling in-house or I’ll encounter someone during my day that just needs to bend my ear and get whatever is eating at them off their chest.

I don’t study sufficiently, but I still attempt to do my best. I’ve just eased off a deeper study of the Old Testament and Book of Enoch I. I’m now finding that much of the Book of Revelations has already been fulfilled. I can say I’m digesting it all for a time.

I celebrated my 73rd birthday a couple of weeks ago. It is amazing how God has blessed me with life. My recent visit to my regular doctor confirms I’m still doing well. I am discovering however that I am going to have to accept that I’m not capable of doing things I didn’t give a thought about doing even a year ago. The thing I’ve discovered as well is that when I was young death was a fearful thing, but not any longer.

I’ve grown to understand death of the body to be only a stepping stone into the eternal realm in the most real way. We all hear about it and talk about it, but something inside of me has changed. I no longer fear death. It is the final act in this finite realm which I consider my graduation from boot camp. This life is where we learn how to deal with circumstances in every concievable way. It’s a journey of growth and maturity. The Bible speaks of us becoming perfect as He is perfect. I think we missed an important facet of what is being said.

Matthew 5:48 – Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The Greek word for “perfect” means complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.), completeness:–of full age, man, perfect. G5056

To boil that down, it simply means we should grow up. Our reason for this life is to develop our mental and moral character. It is saying in essence we will stumble, fall, and come short, but growth comes in getting up and brushing off the dusty mistakes and continuing to move ahead having learned our lesson and not repeating that issue ever again.

God’s character is mature in every way and all He is asking is that we attempt to achieve as near to His level as possible. In doing so we come to an understanding of who He is as our Father and maker. I want to know Him. I don’t care about all the benefits of knowing Him. I want to know Him. I can come down with a terminal disease or some lesser maladay and I would be more interested in His will in the matter. I would not be asking or begging for healing. I would be asking for a closer more sincere knowledge of who He is to me.

I have written about this in the past yet I cannot fathom the depth of what He has done for me. In the ending years of my life He has given me abundance of days. He has given me an abundance of all the things I need. Oh, it’s not like I’m still doing handsprings across my yard. I am getting old, but I sense a fulfillment in who I am. Having a dad that told me I would not make it past age 60 was nothing more than a challenge in saying that’s not for me. Even to look back as being the oldest of five sons and know I’m missing three of my younger brothers that all died in their 50’s and the remaining one is nearing his mid-fifties and not really intending to stay at his best health. God told me all that was required of me was to do His will. That I’ve have tried to do as best I know. I’ve fallen hard, yet I got up. In my getting up He gave me another wife that I can only hope will remain with me throughout eternity. I cannot love anyone else like this woman.

I’m happier and more joyful now than ever in my life. Don’t ever give up on yourself. God didn’t.