Sing This With Me, This Is 40 . . .

"Sing with me. This is 40." Bono's words from the U2 Live at Red Rocks album (yes, album, as in the old vinyl system) have been echoing in my mind as today approached. Perhaps his song, which is based on Psalm 40, is an appropriate song for a 40-year-old ("I waited patiently for the Lord, inclined to hear my call. He lifted my feet out of the pit, out of the mire and clay. I will sing a new song.").

In case you haven't guessed, today was my birthday; my 40th birthday.

I keep wondering how I feel about it. I'm against aging without grace, as a rule. It's just so distasteful to pretend to be younger than we are. On the other hand, there are some trappings with age that we could probably do without.

The other day I was coming out of the grocery store and I thought twice about my habit of giving the cart a good push and then hopping on for a ride. It's great fun; me, my milk, eggs, and bread flying through the parking lot, wind in my hai....on my scalp. But then I thought about how ridiculous it looks for a 40-year-old man to be doing that.

It's increasingly hard for me to tell what befits my age and what doesn't. There is an age where everybody thinks you're young. There is an age where everybody thinks you're old. 40 isn't either of those things.

I've heard people say that 40 is the new 30. That's just silly. That's the result of letting Baby Boomers get away with pretending they aren't aging. I won't be surprised when I start hearing Baby Boomers say, "The wheelchair is the new Ferrari." That's just how they are. Sorry if you're one. I'm sure you you aren't like that.

In some ways I have more focus and drive than I did I was 30. Yesterday I swam a mile, ran about 5 miles, worked in the yard, finished my sermon preparation and saw a disturbing beat down in the Wal-Mart parking lot (that included a guy getting hit with a car and then beat with a 2 x 4).

Well, I'm rambling now. It must be my age.

I'm not sad that I'm 40. I never want to take for granted the gift of growing older. I have two friends who died when they were 39, leaving wives and children in their wake. They were both in good shape. They were both supposed to grow older as their kids were turning into adults, and then as their kids were turning into parents themselves. I thought of Greg and Charles more this week than I expected. I wish they were still with us.

I'm very aware, this week, how I've been blessed. Why has God blessed me? I don't know. These things are mysteries to me. I've been given a great family. I've been allowed to serve Grandview for almost a decade now. I've been given good health and many other things besides. And so today I celebrate God's kindness; undeserved as it is.

So, I rejoice at this birthday. Sing This With Me, This Is 40.