@70: ‘Keep the faith’

The title is great, and I certainly have much to be grateful for reaching the beautiful age of 70, but then I am reminded in Psalms 90:10 that “the length of our days is 70 years or 80 if we have strength.” Further on Moses prays: “Teach us to number our days so we may gain wisdom.”

Through the years, I constantly remind friends and myself that we are not promised tomorrow and numbering our days suggests that we make the most, the best of each day. “In everything rejoice” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and “Rejoice always” (Philippians 4:4).

Looking back with gratitude to God, I have lived.

Even when I did not have a true relationship with Christ and God, even when I qualified as an enemy or fugitive or literally lived as the “Prodigal Son,” God gave me jobs, adventures, romance, loss, shelter and people who love me and protected me, even from myself.

The Old Testament has several stories about how certain rulers claimed, “I did not sin.” And God would say, “Yes, I know. Because it was I who stopped you from sinning.” On a more secular vein, I was reminded of the song “Keep the Faith” by Bon Jovi.

The lyrics, if you would listen to the song on Spotify, reflects how many of us acknowledge our failed state as well as our desperate struggle to “keep the faith” and perhaps that is a key element to a strong finish.

Just yesterday morning, I heard someone point out that all the pain and challenges we experience in life is not some act of a distant cosmic kill joy, but part of the training package designed for use by our future self.

I too have suffered much, hurt much, lost much as well as been betrayed. But as St. Paul put it, all these I count as lost or trash. @70 I now know “you can’t do it alone.”

Even the best and bravest warriors need someone to watch their backs, whether Seals, Marines or American Indians. First God, second family, third your “community.”

Not everything is about strategy, investment or warfare. In real life, I have won more battles, gained more ground and acquired more benefits by praying with other men as well as my family. Remember: money can’t buy miracles.

@70, I would say that the best place to start towards a good life is to learn to really love yourself, like yourself and find things to do to feel good about yourself. If you can’t or don’t know how, ask God.

Not to be preachy but practical, remember that you cannot give what you do not have, you cannot share what you do not own and 0+0 = 0. You can proclaim to be a loving person but if you are emotionally and spiritually bankrupt, what is there to share?

That does not mean you are a bad person; it simply means you’re running on empty and clearly going nowhere. If you feel stuck in emotional mud, try doing something that will improve someone else’s life or at least make them feel better about themselves.

Preferably someone who can’t pay you back and can’t help themselves. @70 paying it forward, big or small, short term or over several years, is the best thing God has allowed us to do. Try it.

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When I first started on today’s column, I wanted to talk about revisiting and resolving “past mistakes and unfinished business” – but not of the moral kind but projects, businesses, endeavors or goals each of us shelved in the past.

@70, I would say that certain things in life really require time, age or maturity. We often think it can’t be done from a technical, financial or managerial perspective, until you find yourself solving exactly the same kind of challenge a decade or two later. It was simply not the right time or circumstance back then.

Some say it’s about mindset. Many seniors I know will tell you “travel while you still have legs or knees that let you.” Generally, the problem is with the mind, not the kneecaps. We see all the challenges instead of the fun or adventure.

But the way I would explain it is that the app, the program or the technology or strategy was not available in your head back then. We simply did not have the experience or the self-confidence required before. So, we either “called a friend” or hired a handy man.

Then one day, our cranial incubator hatches all those experiences, observations, etc. into usable information and you transition to DIY.

These last two weeks, I found myself fixing things and solving problems in our farm as if God had only recently opened the faucet of understanding for me. We were repairing or replacing things one after another without any verbal or emotional outburst.

Instead of being annoyed or dismayed when a pipe burst, an electrical breaker shorted out or thieves tried to cut through our fence, we saw each problem as an opportunity for an upgrade of solutions and equipment.

After two weeks, we fully integrated our solar power set-up, eventually did a lay out for the farm to be environmentally friendly for birds and insects. Figured out how to restart our failed greenhouse projects and got started on filling up plant boxes with compost right outside the fence.

@70, wisdom was simply cascaded and downloaded with God’s help.

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