Reflections at Fifty-Five
Today, I turned fifty-five years old. I have outlived my dad by five years. I am now an ARP who is eligible to join AARP. Birthdays are a good time to look back and evaluate life: where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. I praise God for where He has led me, where He has me, and where He is leading me.
It is amazing how fast life moves. It seems just yesterday, my wife was commenting on the Tim McGraw song, “My Next Thirty Years,” as I was getting ready to turn thirty. Now, twenty-five of those next thirty years are gone. As I look back, I can see the hand of the Lord working and directing me. I learned many important lessons during my first call, and I was led to First ARP in Lancaster. I became a Fire Chaplain for 16 years. I began serving at the Synod level and got a Doctor of Ministry from Erskine Seminary. Looking back, I see the Lord’s hand moving me and preparing me for a new phase in my ministry as I started meeting folks from the RPCNA and all over the Reformed World.
Where am I now? There are times I sit and wonder how I have arrived at this place in life, both as the Principal Clerk of our Synod and as an Associate Vice-President for External Relations at Erskine. These were never goals I had in ministry. I really enjoyed being a local pastor and working at the presbytery and synod levels. But the Lord opened doors. I can remember as a youth, missionaries from Serra Leon came to my church. The main theme of their message that weekend was “Walking Through Open Doors.” Not every opportunity is an open door, but the Lord will open doors and nudge you into places where you are uncomfortable. Changing jobs from local pastoral pulpit ministry to higher education at age 52 was scary. I was comfortable as a pastor, and I have missed that part of my calling. I have been blessed in several ways: I get to preach regularly all over the world, from Lancaster to Pakistan. We have found a wonderful local church, Ebenezer ARP, in Rock Hill, SC. It is a blessing to sit under the Word of God from their two faithful pastors. The Lord has also opened an opportunity for me to serve as a supply pastor for a small historic congregation in Mayesville, SC. I have been blessed by the Lord to use my gifts in so many places and at so many levels of the church.
Our family has been blessed over these years, and we are now entering a new stage of life. Our youngest will graduate from High School this May. Our oldest had our first grandchild last September. Our oldest son graduates in May and will also get married in May. I remember praying to the Lord for a Christian wife, and He answered that prayer in ways I could not fathom. The Lord has given me a soulmate who has been the greatest worldly blessing in this life.
What does the future hold? There will be more battles ahead, for that is the nature of this world. Some of the battles over the last 30 years have been difficult. It is hard to see men and women reject the truth, ignore the warnings of scripture, and divide the church. But we also know that the Lord is working in and through these battles. I pray that I might see more conversions, even a great revival of biblical religion in our nation. In a world where men seem to fall every month, I pray the Lord will protect me and keep me in good health, that I might continue to serve the church, love my family, and maybe see my great-grandchildren.
Some advice on my Fifty-fifth birthday:
- Trust the Lord. The more you do, the more He proves Himself over and over.
- Don’t wait. Now is the time to do something. What is the Lord leading you to do?
- Take time to rest and reflect on the Lord. You are made to glorify and enjoy Him. Don’t let these just be the words we teach children, but live them out in life.
- Never underestimate where the Lord might lead you. I could never have imagined five years ago that I would be where I am now.
- Do not neglect the local church. For 9 months, my wife and I were not in a local church. We were in church every Sunday, but not having a place to call home was hard on us spiritually.
- Don’t let it go to your head. You are just a man. May all glory and confidence be in the Lord.
