On Turning 60 - reposted

Posted by Terry McNichols

(It is hard to believe it has been two years since I wrote this post.  I'm still getting older, quickly, and my repaired knee is doing great.)

I turned 60 last week and it was a day I was dreading. I didn’t expect that 60 would come so quickly, or that it would be fraught with aches and pains. I always assumed I would age gracefully and beautifully, able to stay active, travel, enjoy my life. But sometime before my birthday I somehow injured my knee and couldn’t take my walks, could barely get in and out of my car, couldn’t garden, and couldn’t get down on the floor with my grand babes. Guilt upon my head for all those times I walked ahead of my own mother, agonizing at her slow speed and trying to hurry her along. It is not easy to slow me down and I resent the very idea that I might not be able to do whatever I want to do.

Sure you can keep telling me that I still have many wonderful years ahead, but I believe that I am going to need to work hard to make that happen. So I am resolving to work diligently on that knee and keep it functional for just a few more years.

It is pretty easy, during the down times, to start to think that my usefulness is pretty much in the past. Maybe I don’t have any more energy or talents or gifts to offer for the betterment of the world, I begin to think. Time to shrivel up and call it a wrap. But in the midst of thinking these happy birthday thoughts, a thank-you card arrived in my mail from Leona’s mother, an 81-year old widow who is still actively living out her place in the world. The quote on that card is the theme of this blog about grace and gravity. Leona and I have always dreamed about teaming up on something, anything. We’ve teamed up on many great family outings (yes, she’s married to my brother), lots of fun times together, great conversations, dreams, ideas, years of supporting each other and our families. We’ve weathered a lot of storms together. And now we are venturing out, to see if we indeed have anything new to offer to the vast internet community. Here, then, is the quote:

"BLESSED ARE THE AVAILABLE
Blessed are the conduits, the tunnels, the tools.
DELIRIOUSLY JOYFUL
are the ones who believe that if God has used
sticks and rocks to do His will, then He can use us."
Max Lucado