For those of you who don’t know, yesterday I turned 26 years old. Yes that means I am closer to 30 than 20 and you know what? I’m okay with that (more about this in a second)! Yesterday was a day filled with driving, lifting furniture, and great conversation as I spent the majority of the day helping my Czech Director, Billy Crossan. It was a great day because Billy and I haven’t had much time as he has been here on furlough this year, which is a bummer but that is part of life – busyness.
Beyond that yesterday was one of the few birthdays I can remember where I felt so deeply loved and treasured by God and so many people!
I must have had over 15 voicemails and another 10 emails or so from people like you that took the time to shoot me an email or call me. Here is one of my favorite ones. It is from Onrda, my Czech buddy that has been a Christian for the past year, here is a portion of the email (remember he has been a Christian about a year and he is freestyling about me and Jesus!) he wrote me
Little freestyle for Zach:
The best thing on the world is chewing a muffin
Compared to God that’s really nothin´If you greet only your brothers
What are you doing more than the others?Don’t love only those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even tax collectors doing that?Happy birthday bloke
Your bones are hard as oak
Your heart starts to beat little faster
When you’re drinking coke
THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU THAT MADE THE EFFORT AND THOUGHT OF ME! YOU ROCK! I went to bed last night feeling loved and God reminded me of all the great people He has placed in my life.
However, one of the funny things about the majority of the phone calls and emails consisted of some jesting about me getting so old! Which I thought was pretty comical because 26 really isn’t old at all, but I guess it is just because I’m closer to 30. But this jesting made me think.
Here was the conclusion of my time meditating about getting older – I want to grow old and there is some longing in my heart and mind to get old! “Why?†you ask. Well with age comes wisdom and maturity and I realize that I really am a young punk that desires the positives that come with age. I’ll be honest I don’t like the thought of everything that comes with age, but I will gladly welcome it for the wisdom and maturity that the gray hair and achy joints will bring! So bring it on! Bring on another day and more experiences to have God teach me about life, Himself and living to make an eternal impact! Furthermore, I long to have a long thick, gray theologian beard!