Life’s Been Good to Me So Far
When I was a younger man, I didn’t take much time to reflect. Now, there were times when I was downright soulful, but, on the whole, I was just living my life and moving too quickly to gather much moss. Reflection didn’t do much to change things anyway, so I had to keep moving. Add on the responsibilities of a young family, and there you have it. Can’t cry over spilled milk. I was aware that time was passing, but there seemed to be a lot of it. Now, I regret even the minutes I threw away.
Though you often here it, it’s not that the young think they’re invincible. It’s that they don’t have the experience for true reflection, and they see endless possibilities. Life’s limitations don’t rear their heads until we are well into adulthood. That is both the triumph and tragedy of youth. Not old enough to know better and too young to care. As all the young do, I thought I was wise beyond my years and capable beyond my scope.
With the weight of years comes a creeping uncertainty. A sense of dissatisfaction follows when we understand that not all our lives went according to plan. I saw this in others many years before I began to feel it in myself. In our lives, misfortunes combine with misdeeds and misunderstandings producing the hopeless feeling Solomon expressed as he lamented, “It’s all empty anyway.” This sadness comes to all people at some time regardless of their station in life.
Years ago, I heard a preacher say, “No matter where you are in life, God’s been good to you!” I’d have to say that’s true. Our reflections on the hardness of the world can lead to a downward spiral resulting in a tailspin. The tailspin becomes a free fall we can’t get out of because the engine won’t start. We become myopic, and you need glasses for that. It is good that we have been reminded in recent years through the written and spoken word that life is not all about us.
I only got hit by one car. I’ve been missed by thousands. God’s protective hand has been over me, and that I know for a fact. He’s protected me from Satan, others and myself. Just as His blood has covered all my sins, goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. I’m still bumbling along, but I’ve got a good wife and two sons of which I’m extremely proud. I’ve got great friends, and my church loves me. It ain’t all been grand, but it’s all worked together for good.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but it’s been good so far. I’ve had a lot of heartache in my life, but I’ve had a lot of fun, too. They say I’m crazy, but I have a good time. I regret my mistakes and often mourn, but I believe in redemption, and I know the power of God. The grace that God has extended to me is available to everyone without a lecture if it is sought with humility and contrition. I’m not a person that goes around talking about being blessed, but I am- and you can be, too.
Sterl
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