I have often thought of the age of forty as the "last click" at the precipice of the biggest hill on a roller coaster. For a breathless moment, you sit there in suspended animation; the view can be breathtaking, the anticipation both awe-inspiring and ominous at the same time.
Then from that brief perspective you plunge forward -headlong and at lightning speed!
...and it's downhill all the way after that...
Well, maybe forty for me wasn't such a dark age; but the plunge - true to the roller coaster scenario - has had its ups and downs. I can testify to the fact that since my moment at that pinnacle, life has tended to move at quite a pace. I find myself looking for ways to gain traction - for some way to dig in my fingernails and stop the free fall - but to little avail.
Today I am well beyond that 40 mark. In fact, I am crouching at the door of 50 having attained my 47th birthday. You know, it's not a bad place to be.
Our breakneck pace is due in part to the fact that we have two kids (9 and 6) who keep things moving along but also keep things very interesting! I think because my wife and I started the family at a later point in life than many of our cohorts, we take a slightly different view of child-rearing.
We have something of a "grand-parent-like" view. I believe (and hope) at the very least, that we understand the importance of cherishing every moment and each memory.
For me, age seems to have given me just a little more confidence (something I have lacked in much of my life).
And I still feel like a kid. In my work as a Human Resources Recruiter, I often interview a number of people - some I assume are probably my seniors - often I am surprised to later learn they are much younger than I. A critical and realistic view in the mirror would probably reveal that I am not so young myself. But I just feel young. . . not necessarily energetic - just young.
Finally, having attained this age and not having really accomplished a great deal of note worthy achievements allows me to anticipate... to believe there is more out there to do. I like that.
Moses, the great icon of the Hebrews, began his life's work at age 80. He lived another 40 years and spent that time leading a fledgling nation through the desert, serving as God's liaison, implementing a new culture and basically preparing a people to take over and rule a new land.
I suspect he grew tired.
The fact is that God spent the first two-thirds of his life just preparing him for that last trimester. In those days when Moses was reduced from a warrior prince of Egypt to a lowly fugitive shepherd - those lonely days in desert solitude - he probably felt as if his life was fairly spent. But there was a huge challenge that still lay ahead just beyond that burning bush.
In his farewell talk to the White house staff, late President, Richard Nixon, reminded them of something Theodore Roosevelt had written in his early 20's*. His first wife had died, and in his grief he wrote: "And when my heart's dearest died, the light went from my life forever."
For Theodore Roosevelt, it appeared to be the end - but there was much more awaiting him. He would go on to establish a colorful political career, to write books, lead organizations, rear children and become President of the United States. Apparently, the light had not gone from his life.
That's the neat thing about getting older - some things you learn just by sticking around long enough. That must be why the writer of Proverbs said "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life" (Prov. 16:31 NLT)
*"In the Arena" Richard Nixon. 1990 Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. p 18
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