Another trip around the Sun
I’ve had quite theopportunity to take stock this last year, and as I leap into my thirty-ninth journeyaround the sun, there are some things I think I’m finally starting tounderstand.
Relationships are what matter most.
It doesn’t seem tomatter how much one succeeds or achieves or earns, it is who you love and howmuch you love that will resound far louder in the echoes of our common life.
People are at the core of relationships.
This may soundobvious, but my iPhone updated me on my screen-time last week and although I connectwith countless people through my devices, I do fear some days that I have adeeper relationship with the device than I do the person on the other end.
We all need family.
Family isn’t the samefor everyone, but at a very basic level, we all need people who know our story,love us both for and in spite of it, and call us out on our bullshit when wewade too far into uncharted waters or blustery storms.
God is more faithful in the darkness than I ever needed him to be in the light.
I woke up on mybirthday to the sound of a little boy filled with joy at the crack of dawn,desperately wanting me to hear the words “Happy Birthday” as my firstexperience of this new year. Rory’s Mom baked a cake, raised a glass, and broughtour boy to experience his father’s 38th with some of his oldestfriends. And my childhood brothers – the ones I knew when I still wet the bed(shut up Crocco – I was not eight!) – they gathered in my home, celebrated mylife, and reminded me where I come from.
God is faithful. Evenwhen I don’t see the light.
Last but not least: Love matters.
When everything elsegets stripped away. When all that’s left is the years that have passed and anunknown journey that lies ahead: Love matters. Not so much romantic love orfamilial love or brotherly love, but a love that Jesus liked to talk about.
Love that’s offeredwithout considering cost or measure and received without debt.
God’s love on mybirthday. Thankful and blessed.