Sixty Years

My Life in Decades
1950-1960 (birth to age 10): as far as I can remember, an enjoyable time. I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior at the age of 9 in my grandmother’s rocking chair. I started my acting career at the age of 8, starring in The Panda and the Spy. I also entertained my elementary school classes with a ventriloquist act using scripts written by my father. At the age of 7, we moved to the orange groves of Whittier, California.

1960-1970 (ages 10 to 20): a rather tumultuous time, as I remember it. I carry some regrets and made several character missteps. We moved to Rowland Heights around 1963, and then to Northern California in 1969.

1970-1980 (ages 20 to 30): a good time in my life. I was baptized into the Faith. I started my family, choosing them over a career. All three children were born. I earned a BA in Speech and Drama.

1980-1990 (ages 30 to 40): another good decade. My family was growing. I started working in the retail automotive repair industry and made several lateral moves in preparation for the next decade.

1990-2000 (ages 40 to 50): I stayed at one job for 10 years. My character deepened during this decade.

2000-2010 (ages 50 to 60): a decade of transition. My children moved out (the ultimate goal of parenting) and away. I reinvented myself by returning to college for my MA in Human Communication, starting a new career in teaching. In many ways I feel this decade, like the 1980s, has been preparation for the next one.

2010-2020 (ages 60 to 70): I look forward to seeing my grandchildren grow into fine young men and women. The Lord willing, I hope to establish my role as a mentor and gladly manage the cancer that plagues my body. The Apostle Paul said it best: “At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, ‘My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift” (II Corinthians 12:8-10 The Message).

I appreciate my birthday gift from God.

Genesis 25:26b (NIV)
“Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to [Jacob and Esau].”

Daniel 5:30-31 (NIV)
“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.”

Birthday Celebration #1

July 20, 2010: I posed the question to a captive audience "How much time do we spend on ourselves?" The answers, of course, varied from 2% to 40% (the most common) to 75%. No one said a 100%.

This question led to my ultimate question: "Will we have privacy in heaven?" After our dialectic, I realized life is not about privacy or selfishness; it is about intimacy. As humans, it is in our nature to crave intimacy. Job said it best (29:4) "Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house...."

When we care for others, when we allow them a place in our home, when we spend our lives giving instead of getting, when we allow ourselves to be used (but not abused), we are sharing intimacy.