Turning Forty

It is official. Today I'm 40. As one who has marked the major milestones of my children's lives with great enthusiasm, my children are marking this major milestone of my life with just as much enthusiasm. They are more excited about my birthday than I am! But, I wonder. Does turning 40 mean I have to grow up?

Honestly, I think becoming a grown up happens over time. It is a gradual process that doesn't suddenly occur because of some arbitrary date on a calendar says so. It happens day by day, as lessons are learned and choices are made. Maybe turning 40 is a big deal because many lessons have been learned and wiser choices are being made (hopefully).

I certainly like being on the easier side of the learning curve of life, recognizing how to avoid (for the most part) experiences that are terribly painful. I also like understanding the process of the seasons, knowing that though the cold, dark months of winter have frozen the landscape, spring is coming. No matter how hard the winter is or how long it holds on, flowers will bloom and summer's heat will bring the bountiful harvest of fall. No matter how painful life is now, or how awful circumstances seem to be, Jesus really is walking with me each step of the way and it really will get better.

My favorite lesson comes from my dear mother-in-law; it is never too late. It is never too late for learning, growing, or changing. So, whether turning 40 means I'm finally a grown up or not, I am not going to stop growing and learning. I am confident God is going to keep His promise to finish what He has begun in me and that in time I will be a perfect reflection of Jesus.