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“There is one thing, however, that gets stronger with age: perspective.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, Richard Foth, and Susanna Foth Aughtmon (2015-04-28) from their book, A Trip around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure of a Lifetime (p. 147). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I’m not wanting to spend much time on the fact that I just celebrated my 68th year going around the sun.  But I did and there are benefits to that fact.  As Dick says, perspective is one of them.

He says, “I heard Dr. J. Edwin Orr, a renowned church historian with doctorates from both Northwestern University and Oxford, relate an intriguing anecdote some years ago. As a chaplain on the Pacific island of Moratai in World War II, he was cornered by a young soldier who, having witnessed carnage beyond belief, said, ‘I am an atheist. There is no God!’ Musing on that challenge, Orr said, ‘Son, how much of all there is to know do you think you know?’ Taken aback, the young man faltered. Dr. Orr continued, ‘Let’s give you the benefit of the doubt and be exceedingly generous. Let’s say you know one quarter of one percent of all there is to know in the entire universe. Do you think that perhaps somewhere in that other ninety-nine and three-quarters percent there just might be a God?’ The next day the young fellow returned and said, ‘Okay. I’m not an atheist. I’m an agnostic. There might be a god, but I can’t know him.’ Wisdom takes time.

And it does.  I view life so much differently than what I did at 28.  I had a tendency to have all the answers.  I knew what was wrong with the world and I was very quick to let people know.  Especially my new wife of one year.  I had a tendency to maximize but as I have experienced 40 more years of life I now seem to minimize things more.  Experience, wisdom, perspective seems to clear up a lot of things in life.

Dick says, “Wisdom is the distillation of experience. If we invite God into our experience, it becomes concentrated and focused in a way that is true and easy to understand. Proverbs 3: 5– 6 says, ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths’ (ESV). It is the process of years yielded to God, to His understanding, to His ways, that births wisdom.”

He also says, “The truth is that with each year I get to know a little more about life, a little more about myself and the people I love, and a little more about God. Jesus the Eternal One, more than any other person, helps me embrace the now. What a gift that is!”

And that is so true. 


So where is time taking you?
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