When I was a kid for many years on my birthday morning my mom would come into my room. She’d nudge me awake and say, “It was (fill in the blank of my current age) years ago today I had a baby boy.” She would then go on to explain what a blessing I was since my arrival on the earth. Well before the ‘experts’ declared it was good to affirm your children she was hard at it. Unfortunately she never got the memo stating your kids can do no wrong. They never were at fault, or that life was supposed to be fair.
It was forty-two years ago today our oldest son, Ryan, was born. Unbelievable that we have a child in their forties (actually two, our daughter turned 40 this year, and our youngest is just a couple years behind). I was asked what this was like? I said, “I’m glad to be here as they are in their forties. I hope to seen them when they hit their eighties…assuming I can see anything at that time of my life.”
A great deal has happened over these past forty-two years.
We’ve served in a diversity of ministry roles in four different states
We’ve seen God’s protective hand on more than one occasion
We’ve made new friends, and kept old ones
We have been given opportunities and experiences neither of us ever thought we would
We have served wonderful local church congregations, a fantastic district and even a stint at our Corporate Offices
We’ve learned people are people anywhere you go
Each of our kids have married wonderful spouses who love and adore them, and us
We have eight grandkids who are respectful, kind, each finding their own interests
God has honored both Joni and I with strength when needed, faith was low, and finances were limited
I look ahead to the next forty or so years. It has always been my plan to live, healthy, to 100 years. Why? Why not?
It was always our goal to raise kids who loved Jesus. Pursued their God-given dreams. Had an outstanding work-ethic and took responsibility. We feel this has happened. It is a joy to watch them instill the same in their kids (our grandkids).
This will be my last year in full time service. I will be retiring from my current role in July 2023. I plan to invest more time in my grandkids. Might there be other ministry, outside of the grandkids? I don’t know. But I do know this, if the next season is as fun and wild as the past, I’m in for kind some ride!