At 56 I’ve lived a lifetime!
Yet it is as if my journey has just begun. Chronologically time is short and the saying ‘so much to do, so little time’ seems apt. But I will not concern myself – too much – with what I don’t have, what I have not achieved, or where I have not gone. Instead I will focus on what I can acquire, what I can do and where I can go in the years ahead of me. For i believe it is foolish to allow time to be wasted on recriminations and lost opportunities, for in doing so other opportunities might be lost. They say that lost opportunities are seldom regained so what’s gone is gone. I will however keep my catcher’s mitt on my hands, ever vigilant to capture those errant fastballs ( they come faster as the years grow shorter). I am fully aware that I may not catch them all, but I will be content to catch what I can.
A goodly part of my former years have been in the employ of those who wanted me to do what concerned them while I neglected what concerns me. Don’t misunderstand me because I thoroughly enjoyed the things that were required of me and in the process, I learned a lot. But there were things I wanted to do that had to wait; until now. I no longer work for the man, but I work for The Man; God is my CEO.
The work that I do for Him, I thoroughly enjoy. It is as if I have found my life’s purpose – which I have! But I have not just started to work for Him, I have been for most of my life. However, I had divided loyalties up until a few years ago. I am happy to report that He alone is my employer; I play for an audience of One!
Writing has been a passion of mine since I was a child though I was never formally trained, having finished school before I was 20. But the world has been my classroom, and it continues to be so. Learning has always been a friend and we will be together till the end. Those who know say that ‘a mind is a terrible thing to waste’ so I will not. I have found that ‘sharpening the saw’ works to my advantage – every time! So I have enrolled in school and I am three-quarters of the way to a Bachelor’s degree…finally…yaaaay!!! Oh, and I have written a book as well – self-published of course – it’s called: The Parable of the Trees – A Study in Spiritual Leadership!
Blogging is this new adventure that I have embarked upon and I welcome the challenges it will bring. I look forward to the critique of friends – and enemies (though less of the latter) – that I may meet along the way. It is my hope that some will find it helpful to walk with me, as I walk with them; the world is a lonely place without friends of like passion.
Update
March 2, 2017
Last year (August)I turned 58 and I feel it is necessary to do an update on this post. As it stands, I am two years ahead in my journey (or two years closer to meeting Jesus, however you want to look at it. I prefer the former), and a few things have happened since then.
The main event has been the publication on Amazon’s Create Space platform my 40 day devotional – Walking with Jesus. This is a project I have been working on for a couple of years and which I ran as a small group program at Grace Ministries . The completion of this publication awoke in me the desire to write more, and to publish more (publishing is so easy these days)! In fact I have decided to embark on a supplemental career, that of author.
During the 70s when I was in my teens, I had written a play titled, The Allies. It was an amateur production but well received in my local church back then. I decided to take the original story-line and convert it into a novel, which I am currently working on. I have revised the title to Allies in the Darkness.
UPDATE: 4-23-18
Recently joined the New York State Chaplain Task force (graduated 4-21-18)
https://www.nychaplaincyservices.org/