An Old Dog Trying to Learn New Tricks

I turned 55 years old just last month.

My fifties have been really good to me and God has blessed me beyond what I could have asked or imagined especially considering that in my forties I went through a devastating divorce, my dad died, and I had some major health issues that nearly cost me my legs and put me in the hospital for over a week.

And that’s just the highlight reel.

Now, in my blessed, happy, and relatively healthy mid-fifties (I’m working on making it my REALLY healthy fifties), it is even clearer to me that I have far fewer days ahead than I do behind.

What will I do with them?

All of our days are quite literally numbered by God (Psalm 139:16) and we have no idea what that number is. I think it’s good to live with that awareness.

Our finitude can set us free and make us bolder.

Besides, it’s arrogant to think I will always have time to change, to get healthy, to pursue my goals, to serve others, to launch that business, to write those books. I’ll just do it next year, or the year after that.

How do I know?

We don’t control the number of our days, but we are responsible for how we live the days we are given.

This reality has been hitting me hard. In a good and motivating and inspiring way.

So, this old dog is going to learn some new tricks and try some new things.

There are dreams and desires that I’ve had on the shelf for far too long. I’m taking them down, dusting them off, and getting to work.

I’m not putting anything off until “someday” because only God knows how many days I have and I want to be faithful to just flat out go for “it”, whatever that may be, for all the days I have and do it in such a way that God is honored.

Is it too late for some of them? Absolutely not.

The way I see it, I have fifty-five years of life experience, knowledge, and wisdom(ish) to help me win. Not to mention family and friends who love me and want to help me and cheer me on.

And if I do fail–and surely I will at times–so what? That’s just one more life lesson to log that will make me stronger and smarter so I can move forward.

I want to finish my race strong and exhausted and full of joy. Whether that is this year or, God willing, thirty years from now.