Thoughts on Day 10,227

Well it's my 28th birthday tomorrow. 28 years. 10,227 days (including leap days). Nearly 2,000 worship services I imagine. Twelve years of grade school. A bit more than 4 years of college. Almost a solid year of living abroad here in Korea. 28 birthdays. It's not that many when you think about it. 28. I've lived a grand total of 10,227 days but only 28 have been days when people celebrated my entrance into the world. That means 10,199 days that were NOT my birthday. What do we celebrate when we celebrate a birthday? Is it not a celebration of the non-birthday days? If someone does nothing for the 364 unbirthdays, would there be much to celebrate on the 365th? I don't think so. A birthday is a time when thankfulness and joy are shown for what the person has done on their unbirthdays.

As I reach my 28th birthday, I look both forward and back. When I look back, I see frustrations, disappointments, regrets, and trouble AND joy, sweetness, rest, and providence. I've missed many opportunities to shine the greatness of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Many instances where I wish I could change myself or open my eyes to something I'd forgotten about; but also forgiveness, mercy, grace, love, compassion, and good gifts from my Father's loving hand to mine. I see failures in my life but I see the faithfulness of God. I see unrighteousness in myself but I also see that the righteousness of Christ is mine by faith. And I see disappointments that made God's providence that much sweeter when it came to fruition.

Looking forward I see, perhaps, another 26,000 days. One of my goals for this coming year is to instill an eternal mindset deeper into me. I want those 26,000 days that may or may not lie ahead of me to be spent gathering as much treasure as I possibly can for day 26,001. When I hit that date, I'll realize the fulness of how precious Jesus Christ is and I don't want to weep for a life that was wasted. The day when I cross that last, great river is coming. I want to be riveted by that thought day in and day out until it's time for me to plunge into those waters. I want to face death with the confidence that Jesus Christ is mine and that I am His. I want to see death coming and smile a big smile knowing the beauty of what lies on that other shore. I want to be able to say with Paul "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." I want to count all things as rubbish that I may know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

So for the next 26,000 days, I want to forget what's behind me and press on for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. As I reach day 10,227 I want to ask my God for help in living for Him every remaining day that I wear this mortal body. Pray for me, friends. I need it.