Last week my husband Al decided it was time to talk about my upcoming birthday. Thinking this meeting was going to be all about me, I was thrilled.
As we sat together at the kitchen table, a new reality trampled my expectations as he pulled out spreadsheetsânever a good sign. Groaning, I immediately thought, âOh no! Budget adjustments for 2019.â Welcome to retirement world!
Instead my birthday tĂȘte-Ă -tĂȘte with my beloved delved into the amazing world of Medicare, where part and plan are not interchangeable. Supplements are not advantages and donut holes are not edible.
My first question: âAm I really going to be 65 this year?â Surely not! I remember thinking my folks were old when they were in their mid-sixties. Father Time could not have thrown me into that future so quickly, could he?
In my mind, Iâm mid-forties at the most. But I will admit that sometimes my body and mind donât concur with that calculationâsuch as when I get out of bed in the morning and wonder how long it will take to straighten up and walk a straight line. Or when I walk into a room, look around, and wonder why Iâm there. Or when I spend way too much time chasing down my phone. That little techie rascal plays hide-n-seek.
But wait a minute. Iâm not complaining! I praise God that He has given me 65 years of a good life, a blessed life, in fact. Born into a great family, being married to an amazing man, having healthy children and grandchildren. and a multitude of loving friendsâI have no reason to complain. Ever!
The best part is that God sees my being 65 years old as just a blip in time. He made us to live forever. All we need is to trust in Jesus Christ. After all, the Son of God conquered death on our behalf. Life everlasting is ours through Christ alone.
The best is yet to come.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV