On My Mind

This is the last day of my 30s. It's sort of weird even to type that. But yeah…tomorrow I'm the big four-oh. Naturally at such a milestone, I've spent some time this week thinking about the past 40 years, and about the next 40, if the Lord allows me that many more.

I've sort of thought of them in decades…

0-10: The word I think of for this decade is FAMILY. I was born into a family, which later added a brother, and then later still added another brother. I saw my place in the world through the lens of that family, and my place and role in it.

11-20: This is the decade where I started to become MYSELF, to see the world based on decisions that I made and paths that I chose. I decided where to go to college (with lots of financial incentives behind the choice!), and I decided what to major in. I travelled overseas for the first time, and made my first international flights by myself. I made friends outside of my family, and invested in those friendships. I also became an avid reader…something that has lasted through all the decades since. And most importantly, I accepted Christ's free gift of salvation, and committed my life to following Him.

21-30: Two words for this decade: PATH and PARTNER. At 22 I joined my life in marriage with Char, a partner and friend who has walked the path with me since that day (no matter how rough or rocky it was!). In this decade I also chose the PATH of my life. In some ways I tried several paths, from newspaper sportswriter to college PR guy and finally to VOM. But ultimately the PATH is not about an employer, it's about what I want to do with my life; where I want to invest my time and talents and what I want to trade them for. Am I trading them for money? Comfort? Prestige? I chose a path (or God chose it for me) that allowed me to earn my living while also serving Kingdom purposes.

Ultimately, at 28, God opened the door in some very specific and miraculous ways for me to come to work at VOM. And in so many ways I see the work I do now as something He had been preparing me for in the 28 years before I started. From the international travel in a missionary family to the way I crammed for tests at school (which is the same way I prepare for radio and tv interviews today) to a desire to tell great stories, I feel strongly that I am where God wants me to be at this time, and where He knew I was going.

31-40: I'm still processing this decade, and I don't have it down to one word yet. GROWTH is one that comes to mind; I'm a better husband and father at 39 than I was at 30. I have a better understanding of what Char needs and wants from me, of what loving her means. I'm less likely to rail about something the boys have done and much more likely to discuss it with them. I've also grown in my professional life, and I think I have a better handle on what my gifts are and where the areas are that I can contribute unique things to an organization.

Another word for the last 10 years is INTENTIONAL. I've tried to be more intentional about how I use my time, about what I'm involved in and what I want to accomplish. I started taking guitar lessons because I wanted to learn how to play. I published a novel, because I had always said I was going to write one. I'm a creative person, but the darker side of that coin is sometimes a lack of discipline in thought and time. I've tried in this decade to take some steps to keep the creativity but be more intentional about overcoming the less-desirable parts of that trait.

Another word is INTERNATIONAL. I've travelled much in the past 10 years, and have taken my wife and boys to other countries. I cherish the perspective that these experiences give me, and I strongly desire to give my boys even more opportunities to go to other countries and interact with people of other cultures.

41-50: None of us is assured our next breath, and I don't want to get ahead of myself. But if the Lord allows me to, in this decade I'll "finish" the first part of raising my sons and send them off to college. I'll take my wife somewhere nice for our 25^th wedding anniversary. I'd love to see my name on more book covers, but I don't know if I will. I'd love to travel to more countries, and hopefully that wish will come true. Ultimately and most importantly, I hope that I'll look more like Christ to the people around me at 50 than I did at 39.