The old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun” is indeed true. It even flies when you’re not having fun. Time just seems to fly.
One day, your children are young and playing in the yard and messing up their rooms. They’re crying over the lost love they thought would be forever. The next day, they’re gone. We stand looking at the empty nest and wonder, “Where did the time go?”
We face several milestones throughout our lives. The days that our children are born, the first day of school, proms, graduations, etc., are some of the things we tend to never forget.
As age continues to creep, the birthdays are too many to remember. I particularly remember my 50th birthday. I kept thinking this just couldn’t be happening. There’s no way I could be 50. I was a skinny teenager just yesterday.
I decided to make the best of it and to celebrate it as a victory. I was determined to make it a positive day in my life. I put on my “Fifty is Nifty” button, put on a smile and started my day. All went well. Everybody I saw wished me a Happy Birthday and told me how great I looked and “I just couldn’t be 50.”
I began to feel pretty good about this turning 50 thing — until that afternoon when the florist showed up. My loving husband sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a Happy 50th balloon. The dizzy little delivery girl looked at my button and the balloon and asked, “Is it your birthday or anniversary?”
If brains were lard, this dingbat couldn’t grease a small skillet. Yes, she was blonde. What does she know? She probably thinks the Mayflower arrived 50 years ago.
Many years have passed since that day. I am still wondering where the years have gone. They continue to fly by, and the flight patterns pick up speed as the years pass.
My mother always told me that God has plans for every life and gives us wisdom and gifts to keep us focused on those plans. We are all blessed with gifts and talents to fulfill God’s tasks. And remember, if you don’t accomplish the tasks God has assigned to you, they won’t get done.
He has multitudes of angels, but sometimes he chooses ordinary people like you and me to do these tasks. No matter how unqualified or incapable we think we may be, God equips us for the task at hand. We just must be willing to step out in faith and follow God’s calling. He will supply everything we need.
Remember the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”? That’s my favorite. The angel showed George Bailey what the world would be like if he had never been born. Just imagine that for each of us. Things that seemed so insignificant in our lives could have been lifesaving changes for others. We may never know what influence we might have been for someone else.
Even if we screw it all up, God can still make us a success in His plan. We can choose the wrong path, and He can still make life turn out right for us.
Getting older does have some advantages. No question one grows wiser with every passing year. As the body slows and creaks, patience grows, our understanding of events matures, and wisdom evolves like magic. If I had a choice of aging or being young, I’d probably opt for 30. But since that’s not possible, I’ll take the life and my gifts with which God has so richly blessed me and live life to the fullest.
When He determines that it’s time to come home, I hope he’ll look at me and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You followed my plan exactly.”
Joyce Krawiec represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate from 2014 to 2024. She lives in Kernersville.
