A Wise Heart

Not everyone enjoys birthdays.  Oh, for sure most of us enjoy a party and, perhaps, enjoy it even more if we are at the head of the table, but some folks would just as soon not take much note of the day.  It is understandable.  Each one we have does have a way of reminding us of the relentless march of time, the diminishing of what we used to be able to do, and at some point we start sensing that more are behind than ahead.   And even though I broke my arm at one of my boyhood birthday parties, I remain grateful for it and all the rest.    

Before anyone wants to send me a birthday greeting, please know mine for the year is long past.  What brings reflective thoughts to mind are the birthdays of some others in recent days.  Getting old is not always a lot of fun, but it speaks of years God has given and is giving.  It speaks of blessings of being with those who are important to us, who love us, and who we love.  It speaks of time to remember memories, sorting them out, laughing at some, and learning from others.  Birthdays are not bad things, but gifts from our Creator God who knows the number of our years and though sometimes hard to see, He has a purpose for them.      

Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart."   Maybe there is more to this counting of our days than we see in candles and cakes, birthday presents, and having a a party.  Maybe the counting of our days is not a thing to be dreaded, but instead simply part of God's way of creating new things in us which we have never given any room to flourish.  Being wiser is not the same as being smarter.  Smarter is about knowing more information.  Wiser is about knowing how to live.  These recent years have made me wise enough to know I have still a long way to go in learning how to live with a wise heart, but it is good to be still on the way.