Render

 

Once upon a time…I was in my forties.  My life seems a little like a fairytale, not necessarily in the way where Prince Charming gets to kiss Sleeping Beauty…but more like how Princess Tiana kisses a frog…only to find out that instead of turning into a Prince…I turned into a 50 year old toad. 

One of the main constants in life is that there is no going back, it only goes forward.  As I celebrated…no…grieved my fiftieth birthday this past week I couldn’t help but look back…how can you not really? I mean, when you live for a half of a century or more, the notable changes that occur in the world during your lifetime are quite significant. However, I was surprised that I am NOT older than computers, email, cell phones and digital cameras as they were all technically invented before 1976. 

There are so many things in my past 50 years that I wish I could go back like Marty McFly and change.  If I could go back I would hug my children more and be angry with them less often.  I would eat more bacon and slammed my head into solid inanimate objects less frequently. 

I find myself wishing that I could hold on to my 40’s or even better yet, my 30’s…since we are going that far…let’s just hold onto the 20’s.  I doubt that I am the only 50 year old who wakes up each morning with sore elbows…and knees…and hips…and neck…and back. This was not the case in my 20’s or 30’s…but maybe a bit in my 40’s. 

God never intended for us to hold onto our 20’s.  I was struck with a realization this week, Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has promised us a hope and future…not a past.  Yet, I find myself holding onto my past and even my present for fear of being ready for the future. 

In loose connection I find what Jesus tells the religious leaders in Matthew 22:15-22, applicable.  In this passage we find some these people trying to catch Jesus in a paradoxical trap.  Jesus is challenged as to whether it is lawful to pay taxes to the Roman Government.  Jesus responds by saying, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Psalm 24, states that the “Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” My life is the Lord’s, whether I am in my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. I am His and he is mine.  Therefore I will render my life to him as best as I can…as the Spirit helps me to do. I will do my best to leave my 20 year old self in my past…but…still hoping that my resurrected body might be about 26…

My we come to see that all that we are and all that we have is the Lord’s.