Twenty-Eight!

I am no longer in my early twenties. Not even my mid twenties. Today I have entered the realm of my late twenties. Man, I am getting old! :)

As I read Psalm 71 this morning, I had to laugh:

O God, You have taught me from my earliest childhood,

and I have constantly told others about the wonderful things You do.

Now that I am old and gray,

do not abandon me, O God.

Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation,

Your might miracles to all who come after me.

Granted, I am not that old. At least I don't feel all that old. And with a last name like Young, I can always joke that I am "forever young" (hence the name of the blog) or that I am "young at heart."

And I don't have gray hair. Well, not too many of them. I guess that is one benefit of going bald in May. No one will be able to tell that I am getting a few gray hairs. Hopefully my hair doesn't come back in gray! :)

Anyway, the main point of what David is saying is that he wants his life to count. His whole life is dedicated to telling people about God, sharing what He has done in his life. David didn't figure that he had outgrown praising God or that he had spent enough time proclaiming God's goodness and awesomeness. David wasn't planning on retiring, at least not from teaching others about his powerful, mighty, faithful, sovereign God.

As I look back on this past year, David's words resound in my heart. I too want my life to count, every day of it. A friend of mine in college once said (and she was quoting someone else, but I am not sure who), "How you live your life is how you live your days." So, if I want my life to really matter, then I have to make sure that I spend each day wisely, doing what counts, taking the time to evaluate what is truly important, what is going to make a difference in the long run.

Some other verses stuck out to me as well as I thought about my relationship with God, what He is doing in my life, and how I want to live fully committed to Him. I mean I really want to follow hard after Him, pursing Him with all that is within me, giving Him everything I have and holding nothing back. This might mean that people will look at me like I am crazy or that I have lost my mind or that I am foolish. That's okay, because it's probably true. I will just sing along with DC Talk and explain that I am a "Jesus freak."

Oh yeah, here are those verses that stuck out to me:

O Lord, You alone are my hope. I've trusted You, O Lord, from childhood.

Yes, You have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb You have cared for me.

No wonder I am always praising You!

My life is an example to many, because You have been my strength and protection.

That is why I can never stop praising You;

I declare Your glory all day long.

This past year has been a hard one, if I am honest. BUT, it has brought me closer to God than I have ever been before (and I trusted Jesus as my Savior when I was 5, so we are talking 25 years of knowing Him!). Through our trials, God has been my hope and my strength. And I pray that He has used our difficulties to show His power and goodness. I pray that my story has been for His glory (as we say at DC). One thing I know, the only way that I have been able to come through this valley is because God has been at my side every step of the way. And for that reason, even in the midst of our pain and grief, I have honestly been able to praise God. Like the song goes, "He gives and takes away, but I will choose to say, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord.' Though there is pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name."

David reflects on this concept just a few verses later:

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.

You have done such wonderful things.

Who can compare with You, O God?

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,

BUT You will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.

I can't get over how God's Word has been speaking to me right where I am at, reminding me of exactly what I need to hear. I am amazed at how God knows every single little detail of my life and cares enough to interact with me on such a personal level. He is the Creator of the universe, sustaining His immense creation every single day. He alone keeps the zillions of stars in place and knows all their names. He alone provides food for the animals, from the lions on the African Sahara to the penguins in Antarctica to the kangaroos on the Australian outback. He knows when a tiny sparrow falls to the ground. How much more does He love me?! I am blown away!

I am doing a Bible study when some of the women at church and once again, God knew this is just what I needed. It's called "Stepping Up" and as usual, Beth Moore is an excellent teacher. She is leading us through the Psalms of Assent, and God is really hitting home that I am on a journey, one that leads me closer and closer to Him every step of the way. I might have to go uphill at times or through a dark valley or make my way over rocky terrain, but any difficulties along the way are SO worth reaching my end destination: God Himself!

So I will end with David's words that have become mine as well:

Be to me a protecting rock of safety, where I am always welcome.

Give the order to save me,

for You are my rock and my fortress.

And then my life verses from Psalm 62:

I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor come from God alone.

He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me (not even Satan).

O my people, trust in Him at all times.

Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.

Bring on the late twenties! May they bring me all the closer to my God. May I use them to boldly proclaim the faithfulness and goodness of my Lord, my Savior, my Friend, my Jesus.

How fitting, we are on a journey, a path God has laid out and prepared for us.

May we look toward the Light and may His face shine upon us as we follow hard after Him.