Not So Fast
Everything old is new again, as the saying goes. And I have to tell you, that feels pretty good.
I said goodbye to another friend last week. Like the other friends I’ve lost over the last year, he too passed away unexpectedly. And he was too young, like the others – at least from a human perspective.
I’ll remember Mike for his generosity, his quiet perspective and the way he loved people. He was also a fellow contemplative, so we had long talks about the silent retreat he went on every year with the same group of friends.
Ironically, the last time I saw Mike, we sat next to each other a few months ago at the funeral of a mutual friend’s wife, then we shared a meal together.
It seems like I could have one of two responses to losing so many friends in such a short amount of time. I could either think about my own mortality or I could be grateful for the life I have in front of me.
Truth be told, I’m doing a little bit of both.
But as I left Mike’s funeral, I thought about some of the things I’ve been doing lately that I had my doubts about not all that long ago.
I took a trip to St. Louis to visit my sister and her family in 2022. As I drove through the old neighborhood in Lake St. Louis where my dad used to live, a feeling sort of swept over me, whispering that this would be the last time I would drive through that neighborhood.
I went back for another visit in June but had to cut it short for health reasons, which meant I didn’t get a chance to make the familiar trek through that neighborhood. As I passed it on the way home, I nodded, acknowledging the feeling I had the previous year.
But I went back a couple of weeks ago as a makeup trip and had a really nice time with my family there. As I drove through the old neighborhood, I thanked God out loud for another opportunity. It felt like he was reminding me that he can always make a way.
Then he sent a message that was hard to miss. I took my nephews out to a soccer park in St. Louis the next day. Rain threatened to ruin the excursion, but when it stopped, we got out of the car and spent some time in the fresh air at the park. That’s when I noticed it — a rainbow, which is a beautiful reminder of hope between God and man (Genesis 9:12-17).
When I stepped away from my bowling team in 2014, I thought I’d never throw another ball. I even used the R word, which seems kind of silly in hindsight. I did end up subbing for the team twice in 2016, then I hung up my bowling shoes … again.
I got the itch though earlier this year and inquired about an opening. When one became available, I said yes. My body may say no once the season starts (I shot a practice round earlier this week and was sore for two days), but why not be optimistic?
When my client work slowed down recently (I mostly edit for publishing companies), I reached out to former newspapers I used to write for. One of them welcomed me back. And another market opened up too. All of a sudden, I’m a journalist again who has five assignments.
Everything old is new again, as the old saying goes. And I have to tell you, that feels pretty good.
I’m mindful that everything has a season, as Ecclesiastes 3 says. But it’s not always easy to know when seasons are coming to an end, as I rediscovered recently. So I’m trying to stay open to God’s guiding hand.
August Spotlight
God has called you to fly solo — at least for now. Make the most of it.
Never-married Christians over the age of twenty-five have many unique challenges. We struggle with the way we are perceived, both inside and outside the church. We wonder if God plans for us to remain unmarried our entire lives, and if he does, how we will ever make it. And, in recent decades, we’ve even been caught in the courtship vs. dating crossfire.
In this 30-day devotional, Lee — himself a never-married 50-something — walks you through these issues, and more, exploring what the Bible has to say, using humor, honesty, and an encouraging tone.
Here are some tidbits you might find interesting this week:
“Look around your home. That closet stuffed full, that drawer that doesn’t close, the garage you can’t park in because of the boxes — those are all opportunities to give and help others!” - Joshua Becker
I have an urge to buy a turntable so I can start listening to LPs again. There’s nothing like the anticipation of hearing the first song of an album when you drop the needle and that old scratchy noise fills the room.
As a fan of the TV show “Alone,” I devoured this essay about it from S. E. Reid: Surrounded, Again.
If you’re walking through dark days, please take the time to read this article from Josh Wood.
"The precious fact is that God is the deeper life! Jesus Christ Himself is the deeper life, and as I plunge on into the knowledge of the triune God, my heart moves on into the blessedness of His fellowship. This means that there is less of me and more of God — thus my spiritual life deepens and I am strengthened in the knowledge of His will!” - A. W. Tozer
When Lee isn’t writing essays, devotional books, or Christian fiction, he is a freelance editor, as well as a freelance journalist who has written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also a fan of NASCAR, baseball, tennis, books, movies and coffee shops.