Big Birthdays

Gratitude.  It affects how you work, how you handle disappointments, how you approach goal setting, and how you feel about a big birthday!

This is my year for a big birthday.  I have always dreaded my landmark birthdays.  I want to stay young and I want to look young!  I’ve learned now, with wisdom, that “young” is a relative term.  Forty looks young to me now.  At the time, however, I didn't appreciate turning 40.  I did not want to celebrate my birthday and I certainly didn’t want anyone to know my age.

Fifty was even harder.  I kept it a secret as best I could.  How I wished I were 40 again!

Now, I’m watching my friends turn 60, and my turn is coming soon.  Recently, I had an epiphany about my upcoming landmark birthday.  I realized that I can either be miserable for the next few months until the dreaded day arrives, or I can embrace it and use it to my advantage.

I decided (yes, DECIDED) to embrace 60 and not to hide it.  I am choosing to be happy about it.  After all, if being young is my goal, I am younger now than I will ever be again!

I am amazed by the way this decision has affected me.  I am happy and relieved, now that I have a new approach to turning 60.  I am enthusiastic to set goals for my new decade of life!  I see that my landmark birthday is a BIG OPPORTUNITY to reflect and set new goals, and re-establish goals that I have not yet accomplished.

Here’s my advice to readers who are dreading a landmark birthday:

1.  Start the day with the Lord.  Pray and seek a relationship with your Creator.  Come to know Him through His Word, the Bible.  You will find that spiritual fulfillment will help turn around your negative mindset about getting older.

2.  Express gratitude.  Thank God for your life, your health, family, children, job, etc.  Start each day with a prayer of gratitude.  Don’t say sadly, "I’m turning 60....”  Try saying, with sincere gratitude, “Thank you, Lord, I’m turning 60!  Thank you for giving me life!”

3.  Know your eternal destiny.  Growing older means getting closer to the end of our lives.  This reality can bring a lot of anxiety if you do not know God and you’re worried about where your soul will go when you die.  God has provided a clear path to Heaven… read about it in the New Testament book of Romans.  Jesus Christ willingly died and shed His blood to save sinners (all of us).  Repent and acknowledge your need for salvation, accept Jesus as your Savior, and you will have assurance of your eternal destiny.

If you have a heart of gratitude and assurance of your salvation, you can be joyful, whatever your age.  Your gratitude will impact your motivation and goal setting, and keep you from being sad and discouraged.

For those reasons, I am embracing my Big Birthday.  Instead of complaining about turning 60, I am thanking God for the time He gives me, and I am grateful that He is giving me another birthday.  I am approaching the start of the new decade as a great goal-setting opportunity.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll come up with something BIG to mark the occasion!

Devotion

I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.  John 6:47 (NLT)

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.  1 John 5:12-13 (NLT) (emphasis added)

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for my 60^th birthday coming up in a few months.  Thank you for turning around my attitude about getting older and giving me a heart of gratitude for each and every birthday you give me.  Thank you for giving me joy in my heart, which makes me happy about turning 60.  I pray for those who are anxious about getting older and who need to find spiritual fulfillment.  I ask you to work in their hearts and lead them to explore your Word and find the Truth.  Bless them with confidence in their eternal salvation.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2018 Linda Lijewski