Happy Birthday! Life-Lessons at 70...

                 The longer I live the more
                    beautiful life becomes.
                                                                        - Frank Lloyd Wright

I'm a celebrator of life!  Those who know me best know that
I was born with an endless supply of JOY and energy and enthusiasm. I live life full-bore, and I want to soak up every divine second that God has granted me. I tend to feel emotions deeply...happy, sad, mad, glad, scared...I feel them all. 

That's how God made me, and that's how I have lived my life... only one day short of my 70th birthday.

Most folks who know me find it hard to believe that tomorrow, 
February 5th, I will be 70 years old. Comments like...
                         
                         "You can't be 70!" 
                         "You don't look 70!" 
                         "You don't act 70!" 

have been my bread and butter this last week. When I hear those words I just smile and say...
            
            " I am so grateful and blessed to be God's child
               and to know in my deepest heart-of- hearts that
               He loves me. I am so grateful and blessed to be
               seventy years of age."    

One of my dear friends asked me how it felt to be 70. We were
having coffee and sharing the ups and challenges in our lives.
She wanted to know what life-lessons I had learned. She challenged me to write them down.

Her words to me went something like this... 
"Are you going to write a book? You should, you know. If you don't write a book, I challenge you to share 70 life lessons on your blog. I, for one, want to be able to look back at what you've learned since you have always been my teacher. I want to hear about the good life-lessons and the tough life-lessons. How about doing 70 life-lessons, one for every year of your life, over the next year ? Is that too tough for you?"

Somehow the words "challenge you" was all that it took. Add a dab of "Is that too tough for you?" and you've got me hooked. 

I always love to take on a new challenge. Once when I was little, and my Dad saw me slacking off and heard me whining and eager to quit, he said, "Oh, that's okay honey. If you feel that is too tough for you, just quit." 

Something about his tone of voice and facial expression made me wake up and meet the challenge head on. From that day on my
least favorite word in the English language was the word QUIT!
Quit...give up, toss in the towel, quit trying, quit giving, quit living.

No thanks!

So game on. Not the Super Bowl game that falls on my birthday 
(go Falcons!), but game on to share 70 life lessons. So...here goes. 

Life Lesson #1: 

There is only one you. Plain and simple, you are a miracle.
While you may find it hard to believe you are a miracle, the truth is... YOU ARE. 

I am a miracle, and so are you!

There is no one like me. I was created by God, and God doesn't make mistakes. I was created to do amazing things. My job is to go be the best me I can be!

While you may not have heard you are a miracle from those around you, in fact you may have heard quite the opposite, don't believe those who would sell you short or project their own fears about life on to you. God made you, and He doesn't make any junk.

Growing up, and having been born with one normal-sized hand and one small hand with no fingers, it was hard sometimes to think of myself as a miracle. I was so different and different must be bad or not okay. 

Yet, when I went to Malibu in 9th grade, and learned that God loved me and I accepted His love, everything changed. 

And I do mean... EVERYTHING!

I suddenly knew that God had a plan for my life. He created me, and I was His miracle. He loved me just as I was and knowing that was life-changing for me.

At age 70, what I know for sure is...

*He created me to live my life fully, no matter what comes my way. 
*He created me to live my life fully in the midst of great joy.
*He created me to live my life fully in the midst of great sorrow.

On the days when I am filled with doubt and fear and pain, especially on the hardest-of hard days, He is there beside me
and I am still a miracle on those awful days. 

And now, at age 70, there are still days when I don't feel like a miracle. There are days when I feel sad and discouraged. However, I remind myself, usually out loud, that no matter how I feel in this minute...God loves me. He gave me one life to live and I want to live this miraculous life fully. I want to embrace and use every gift God gave me. I want to live this life knowing that I am His miracle.

One of my favorite authors and comedians is Erma Bombeck.
I will close Life-Lesson #1 with one of my favorite quotes from Erma...
   
  "When I stand before God at the end of my life. I would hope
    that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could
    say, I used everything You gave me."

So today, as I share Life-Lesson #1, may I always remember how much God loves me, and that I am His miracle. May I always remember to cherish and use the unique gifts and talents He gave me. May you remember this life-lesson too.

Amen and Amen!
Love and hugs and prayers!
God Bless!
Linda