Sometimes you just have to pause and think for a bit. Yesterday I marked my last birthday with a seven as the first digit. Henceforth, God willing, the number of years will begin with a numeral eight. Talking to some friends recently as this milestone approached, they commented that when the eighties begin, I will have to grow up. I refuse the whole notion. Yeah, sometimes I wish I were more mature, but I’d rather be a kid at heart.

So my wife marked the day by taking me to lunch at our favorite (non-chain) burger joint. If you are ever in Racine, Wisconsin, you must go to Kewpee’s and have a double cheeseburger and a root beer.

At the dinner before Bible study at church last evening, the pastor led the group in singing “Happy Birthday” to me. Later that evening I enjoyed a glass of wine while watching TV, and I was in bed by ten fifteen. What a party animal! All day long I received cards in the mail and text messages to help celebrate the occasion.

Two people we know died this past week, one younger than I, the other older. The younger was my brother-in-law who was found dead at home in Iowa last Friday. The other was the wife of a friend who lives just around the corner from us. She died just days after entering a nursing home due to dementia. Both these losses hurt.

Seniors like me play a game each day when we read the obituaries, the over/under game. In one version, we simply count the number of deaths of those both younger and older than ourselves. If the majority were older, well OK then. The other version adds up all the ages, and divides to get the average age. Again, if the average is higher than our age, we take a breath and move on with our day.

This is not a morbid fascination, it’s simply a matter of recognizing where I am in time. Each day I give thanks to the God who made me for the day that He has granted. I never ask for more days. I only ask that this day will be pleasing to Him. I mark the days and the years with one eye on eternity, knowing that my very breath is in the hands of a righteous, loving God, who before the foundation of the world, knew me, and laid out for me all the days of my life.

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. Ecclesiastes 3:12-14 (ESV)