This spring marks my third anniversary of being old. Up until then, I felt like a spring chicken. Now I feel an inch from death’s door. I teased my older brothers, JVo, and even my wife, about their advanced years. But since the spring of 2012, I feel like a senior citizen.
Most of that is because of exercise. I guess when you do nothing, it’s really easy to feel like you could do anything. But when you actually start doing something, you realize stuff is hard.
Feeling old is one of the greatest gifts God has given me. Once I let go of the idea that I was young, I let go of the idea that I could change the world. I began to realize my time for remarkable revolution has long-since passed. I’m not Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. or Billy Graham.
I’m not second Jesus.
I don’t mean to suggest that my dreams have died, only that the egocentric aberrance of my Jesus fantasies has now been exposed. The most powerful consequence of that exposure is realizing that the call of God upon my life is not to be great, but to help others experience the greatness God has placed in them.
Now that I’m old I have shifted my focus away from being super to raising up superb young men and women in ministry. These are people like Jess Hulbert, Travis Coffey, Del and Stephanie Belcher, Paul and Kelly Heath, who are all integral parts of our church. Of course I have other younger brothers and siblings in ministry—Brad Bergman, Jay Cordova, Ryan Rainville, Dan Amos, Chad Cecil. These are people I love and think of fondly. More and more I want Westwinds to be a place where people who are just starting out can get the support and love and help they need. Like I did. I got my support from a great church and a great family. I want to be a great church and great family for everyone else.