Area 51

Well, here it is. Today, November 17th, is my 51st birthday. I am officially now over the hill. I am praying for a long, smooth decent. I have spent the last few days thinking about and comparing what was supposed to be against what has become and shedding a few tears. My 51st birthday was not supposed to be about radiation treatments, chemotherapy, MRIs and CT scans, but it is. DeLayne asked me what I wanted for my birthday and all I could think of was for this to be gone. Fifty-one years have gone by faster than I thought they could. How many things have I postponed thinking that I would do them later and now I wonder, will later ever come? Since the reality of today no longer matches the dreams of yesterday and I do not know what tomorrow holds, I will spend time reflecting and counting my blessings.


One thing that I cannot deny is how richly blessed my life has been. To have been born in this country to Christian parents who taught us the difference between needs and wants is more than what most of the world has been blessed with. We were never a wealthy family but we never went hungry, there was always a roof over our heads and clothes on our back. Being raised with five siblings may not have always been seen as a blessing growing up, but now I am thankful for all of them. As my mother told my brother and me after our Dad’s first heart attack, “You kids are all different and don’t always get along, but when someone in this family needs help, you are there for each other.” Mom and Dad are both gone now and enjoying their rewards, but the legacy of their children remains and I am blessed to call them my family.

I have been blessed to work for the same company 25 years now. Looking back through those years, I can see how God always had a hand on my career. The right opportunities always appeared at the right times. My job has allowed me to go places and see things that others just dream about. There were times that I had to make a choice between seeking advancement and family but don’t recall ever making the wrong choice. My job has allowed us to enjoy family vacations that will forever be locked in our memories. We are able to send both boys to college and have enjoyed watching them grow and mature while there. We can look forward with great expectations as to what God has planned for their lives.

Last, but surely not least, I have been blessed with a wife like none other and two great sons. DeLayne and I have been married for 26 years now. She has become my rock to lean on. After 26 years, we think so much alike; it can be scary at times. There are times now that we have learned that the dinner dishes can wait and just sitting on the couch holding each other is more important. Chad and Shane have both grown up to be fine young men. Both of them have great instincts about when I could use a little tweak or when to call just to cheer me up. Chad and Shane will someday change the world because they will not accept it the way it is. I look forward to watching them both race in France someday.

Yes, I have been truly been blessed these 51 years. This blog today is probably more for me than for you. I need to be reminded from time to time that God has been so good to me and will continue to be so. Although I am 51, I will spend my day much like a little child curled up in its grandfather’s lap held securely in his arms. I will be secure in the loving arms and lap of God knowing that He knit me together in my mother’s womb and only He knows the number of my days and the plans He has to prosper me, to further bless me, and heal me.

I keep telling DeLayne, “I have not had my mid-life crises yet; I should be good for at least 51 more.”