“I’m Just Sayin’”
by Alan P. Scaglione
Anybody see the new Carrie Fisher ad? Apparently, she is losing weight, assisted by some weight loss program, and she must have had some success with the program, and she is singing its praises as she declares “thank you for letting me feel pretty, one last time!”
It just grabbed me. One last time? Are we in that period of our lives, opposite of our twenties (when we experienced our “firsts” in life);
Instead, for those of us in our fifties, are we now experiencing our “lasts in life?”
Made me contemplate. What if I am facing the second half of my life, the fourth quarter, the “do or die” period where we get one more chance…
To do one last thing…that we always dreampt we would someday do.
Is it too late to do that one thing…you always said you would do?
I have a friend who is about to turn 62 years old and just came back from his third mission trip. He said that he feels like he is finally doing what he was meant to do all of his life. He has been a successful Sunday school teacher, an effective associate pastor, a great father and husband, a true friend and a shining example of taking lemons and making lemonade. Those who know him know…he is still doing a lot of “firsts” and he’s not ready to start lining up his “lasts in life!”
Some people call it a bucket list. You remember the movie. Those ten things you always wanted to do before…you know…just before!
Maybe it’s visiting the elderly shut-ins; maybe it’s opening a tutoring center for struggling students; maybe it’s organizing a homeless shelter.
What it is…is….doing that one thing that you have always felt you were meant to do; not putting it off for “then” because, look around, “then IS NOW!”
I had a conversation with a friend at work who was questioning what she wanted to do with the “rest of her life?” The last child had moved out, off at college, and she was asking herself, now that I have fulfilled all my obligations to my children, what about my obligation to myself? She even stated, “I may even want to go and be a missionary! But, who becomes a missionary at my age?” I smiled and said, “Actually, I have a 62 year old friend who just came back from his third missionary trip, and he feels like he is doing exactly what he was meant to do his whole life!”
And yet…so many “fifty-somethings” are sitting on couches or in lazyboy recliners, watching mindless television, wondering…
Am I just too old to do anything new?
You have those who have resigned themselves to coasting into the end zone without making one last touchdown! No victory dance in their future!
And then…there’s Caleb!
Anybody remember Caleb in the Bible?(Joshua 14:6-14) Early on, He was one of two spies who after checking out the promised land, said, “We can take those giants!”
Years later, he went to the leader Joshua and said, “Give me my mountain!” He didn’t want anyone to clear it for him, even though it was controlled by the enemy. He knew he was old, but he also knew…that was his mountain, and he still had it in him to take that mountain from the enemy…
And he DID! Cleared it himself, ran off the enemy and took possession of his property because…he did not resign himself to coasting to the finish line.
What about you? Is there something you have always wanted to do but now, you’ve convinced yourself that you’re too old, that ship has sailed, leave it to the younger ones; or, is there one more dream in you, more fire in your belly, one last victory to score!
Is there a Caleb in YOU?
Until next time,
I’m Just Sayin’…
Brother “A”
Anybody see the new Carrie Fisher ad? Apparently, she is losing weight, assisted by some weight loss program, and she must have had some success with the program, and she is singing its praises as she declares “thank you for letting me feel pretty, one last time!”
It just grabbed me. One last time? Are we in that period of our lives, opposite of our twenties (when we experienced our “firsts” in life);
Instead, for those of us in our fifties, are we now experiencing our “lasts in life?”
Made me contemplate. What if I am facing the second half of my life, the fourth quarter, the “do or die” period where we get one more chance…
To do one last thing…that we always dreampt we would someday do.
Is it too late to do that one thing…you always said you would do?
I have a friend who is about to turn 62 years old and just came back from his third mission trip. He said that he feels like he is finally doing what he was meant to do all of his life. He has been a successful Sunday school teacher, an effective associate pastor, a great father and husband, a true friend and a shining example of taking lemons and making lemonade. Those who know him know…he is still doing a lot of “firsts” and he’s not ready to start lining up his “lasts in life!”
Some people call it a bucket list. You remember the movie. Those ten things you always wanted to do before…you know…just before!
Maybe it’s visiting the elderly shut-ins; maybe it’s opening a tutoring center for struggling students; maybe it’s organizing a homeless shelter.
What it is…is….doing that one thing that you have always felt you were meant to do; not putting it off for “then” because, look around, “then IS NOW!”
I had a conversation with a friend at work who was questioning what she wanted to do with the “rest of her life?” The last child had moved out, off at college, and she was asking herself, now that I have fulfilled all my obligations to my children, what about my obligation to myself? She even stated, “I may even want to go and be a missionary! But, who becomes a missionary at my age?” I smiled and said, “Actually, I have a 62 year old friend who just came back from his third missionary trip, and he feels like he is doing exactly what he was meant to do his whole life!”
And yet…so many “fifty-somethings” are sitting on couches or in lazyboy recliners, watching mindless television, wondering…
Am I just too old to do anything new?
You have those who have resigned themselves to coasting into the end zone without making one last touchdown! No victory dance in their future!
And then…there’s Caleb!
Anybody remember Caleb in the Bible?(Joshua 14:6-14) Early on, He was one of two spies who after checking out the promised land, said, “We can take those giants!”
Years later, he went to the leader Joshua and said, “Give me my mountain!” He didn’t want anyone to clear it for him, even though it was controlled by the enemy. He knew he was old, but he also knew…that was his mountain, and he still had it in him to take that mountain from the enemy…
And he DID! Cleared it himself, ran off the enemy and took possession of his property because…he did not resign himself to coasting to the finish line.
What about you? Is there something you have always wanted to do but now, you’ve convinced yourself that you’re too old, that ship has sailed, leave it to the younger ones; or, is there one more dream in you, more fire in your belly, one last victory to score!
Is there a Caleb in YOU?
Until next time,
I’m Just Sayin’…
Brother “A”
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