So, I have never blogged before. This might be the craziest idea I
have ever tried, but I just celebrated my birthday a couple of days
ago, and I guess I am feeling really introspective (please note the
introspective photo pose), but here are goes. Thqanks in advance, for reading.
As I watched another birthday come and go, here are my REALLY
IMPORTANT BIG THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY 40s!
1. Size matters! No, it's not what you think. The idea here is you
have to keep your size down. I cannot allow myself to be
overweight. I must exercise. There is no excuse. Too many of my
friends my age, are already struggling with sleep issues, diabetes,
or worse. It has hit them in their 40s. Many times its related to
poor eating habits, and no exercise. I love the show "The Biggest
Loser." I have been 30-40 pounds overweight before. I will not
allow myself to go there again. I do not enjoy jogging, but I will not stop.
2. (This one is just for the guys) My wife will never believe that
she is the only woman in the world for me. Thus, I must tell her
this every day. I actually now and enjoying telling her every
day. When I was younger, I was irritated over this. I've learned in
my 40s that it's not going to change, yet this woman really loves me,
she just needs this from me... so why be-grudge her for it. (I hope
I don't sound like a marriage counselor, because I am far from
that. But I can tell you that our marriage has never been better
since I learned some little things like this.)
3. (This is another one for guys only) I need to be involved in a
group of guys. And for me, it needs to be an early morning get
together. Let's face it. We are all so busy, and there are so many
demands on our time as men. Our families need us, our jobs need
us... but we know in our heart-of-hearts that we also need to dig in
deeper with a small group. I have been involved in groups off and on
over the past 20 years. It has always been best for me, to get up an
hour earlier than usual and do a men's group in the early morning,
rather than at night or on the weekends.
4. Your kids will mainly remember just the good stuff about growing
up. This one I wouldn't have believed 10 years ago. Honestly, I
fought with both of my grown daughters all through their teenage
years. There were many times that they said "I hate you..." And
most of the issues were about me trying to control them into being
what I wanted them to be. I would have told you back then that it
was ir-repairable damage. The hurt was too deep. Guess what. They
don't remember. They don't hold things against me now. Our
relationship is getting awesome. They only seem to remember the good
times. WOW! Thank you God.
5. I seem to identify with Christians who struggle more than
Christians who "always have the victory." I grew up in a family who
believed that "you should always have the victory." I don't feel
like I do. Don't get me wrong. I am not taking a theological
position against "having the victory." I also don't believe my
parents were hypocritical about this. All I know is that I have
struggled alot in my Christian life, and still can't say that I "have
the victory." I have followed the up and down stories of people like
baseball player, Josh Hamilton, and Johnny Cash through the
years...These guys have struggled with addictions, and their
faith. They don't ever seem to get it completely right. I think I
identify with them. Maybe I'll feel like i have the victory when I
get in my 50s?
6. My kids know what I am thinking. This is a big one for me. I
realize now that they can tell if I am mad, or disappointed without
me saying a word. I can't hide anything from them. They can tell
if I get frustrated while driving. I think they can even tell if I
glance at something that I shouldn't. WOW. I must be the real thing, 24/7.
7. I don't want to live to be 100. I use to . Nah, that doesn't
appeal to me. Heaven is going to be better than this earth.
8. Everything I do matters. People I don't even know are watching
the way that I live my life. Two recent examples: I was getting a
loan on a new house recently, and my loan officer (whom I had never
met) asked me where I worked and what it was. When I told him it was
a Christian radio station, he immediately got up and shook my
hand. He said "as I'm looking over your financial records here, I
want to thank you for handling your finances like a Christian. I am
a Christian, too, and I see so many people's financial records, and
many say they are a Christian, but it sure doesn't appear that way by
their finances." Wow. I wasn't expecting that. 2nd example: When
we sold our house, my wife cleaned it top to bottom. She deep
cleaned. The new owners couldn't even believe it. They walked into
a home that was so clean, it was almost new. They have called us
several times since then, and finally, I just told them... "my wife
believed this was never our house, it was God's house for us to live
in, so as we left, we owed it to Him to leave it better than when we
moved in..." EVERYTHING I DO MATTERS.
That's about all I have learned in my 40s... what about you? What do
you think I am missing?
Thanks for reading,
The Diceman
No comments:
Post a Comment