Double nickels

Back when I used to drive a lot and use a CB radio “double nickels” was (and probably still is) slang for “55 miles an hour.” Well today is double nickels for me. Yeah it’s official. Next time I go to Eat N Park I can’t be insulted if I get the senior discount. I now deserve it! I have arrived! As one of my seminary professors used to say sarcastically, “Thrilling!”

Twenty- five years ago seems like 25 months ago. Twenty-five years from now seems way too comfortably close and I’m not too sure I’m real anxious to see what that’s going to look like! (Coincidentally, my mom, bless her heart just turned 25 last month so I guess I have a rough picture in front of me.) The older I get, the younger I was.

Sometimes on occasions like this people get asked, “If you had a chance to do it over again what would you do differently?” I don’t know about you, but I’m not the best to give an impromptu answer to questions like this. So in the event someone might ask me that in the days to come I guess I need to think this through.

I could ask for help answering the question and I’d probably have people coming out of the wood work for miles around to stand in line to take their turn to me answer that question.

“Well ya should have done this then.”

“And you should have done that the other time.”

“Ya should have bailed when you stuck it out.”

“You should have stuck it out when you bailed.”

“Do you realize that because you chose to do that you won’t be able to enjoy this later on?”


Well. Actually, I’m not 100% sure I would change anything. I’m not trying to imply that everything I have done I did without error, without regret, and only with perfect execution. Rather, I know myself too well. If I could change the past to improve my “handicap” in life, I’m inclined to believe I’d just use the “corrected” opportunities to free myself up to make other mistakes in different ways. Come to think of it, if I could change my past, would I even be guaranteed I’d be alive today?

In 55 years of living I have learned that life is full of choices. Not all of them will be good ones. Some of them will be down right painful. Some of them will be prudent and full of wisdom. Some of them will be made without forethought and some will be made without even realizing until a much later point, there was a choice made at some point in time and I did not consciously recognize the mile marker or the consequences.

There have been some great choices, some rewarding choices, and some life changing choices. There have been some incredibly bad choices. I even believe that a lot of times when I though I had some great plans, God sat back and laughed.

Through it all; through all the good and bad choices I’m grateful to have a wife that chooses to love me when I know I’m not very lovable. I’m glad I have friends who forgive me when I have hurt them and maybe didn’t even know I did. I’m glad I have a God who loves me despite all my imperfections.

I’m actually to some degree content that I have not always made the best choices in life. It’s been in the brokenness of botched up living that I’ve come face to face with the sufficiency of Christ. Maybe I have not achieved success by other people’s standards, but my “trip-ups” in life have been the times when God has shown his grace towards me. That’s priceless.

I believe God has used and will continue to use all my “my bad”‘s to teach me and guide me if I try to humble myself and learn what He wants to teach me in the moment. God does not waste anything. He can take the most hideous things in life and turn them inside out to glorify Himself. How many times have you seen God take an experience you went through and use it as a connection point with someone else? Or have you ever even considered the uncanny precision with which that happens over the years? Is it really just coincidence that you end up coming along side someone who needs some encouragement in life that only you can offer? Or vise versa? I am so relieved that God is in control. He can take our mistakes and transform them into teachable usable experiences to do His kingdom work.

Romans 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. (New Century Version)

He sure has done that with me!

Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (New International Version)

I continue to learn how to seek him with all my heart.

Because of his Grace poured out for me, I know what I want most for the remainder of my time on this earth is to be put into situations where people need the good news and I can be a part of sharing that.



Lord,

Thank you for letting me get this far in life. I have met many who have not made it even to this simple milepost.

Thank you for keeping me around for purposes I have not yet fulfilled.

In these next 25 years, continue to be my guide more and more each new day and help me to ignore the things that distract me from you.

Help me be a better husband, dad, friend, and pastor. Use my past to touch the future.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen

Stay close to Jesus

REG