On August 24 I turned 50. It obviously has me thinking.
At 30, I thought mostly about what I had yet to do. At 40, I was grateful for a more peaceful place in life. Now, as I turn 50, I’m realizing the cliché is true: age really is just a number.
I’ve been wondering about what I once imagined life would look like by 50:
I thought I would have seen more of the world.
I thought I would have picked up more hobbies.
I thought I would feel more “accomplished.”
But I still have time to see the world, begin new hobbies, and keep rethinking what “accomplished” even means.
What matters more now are good, healthy, life-giving relationships; investing in friends and family; and leading a church in a way that points to Jesus and seeks God’s kingdom.
I’m more attentive to my health — physical, mental, and emotional — in ways that are good for me, not driven by what the “influencers” say.
I’m less focused on proving myself and more focused on how I am being in the world.
And I’m imagining this next decade with you, watching how God will work in, among, and through us.
Fifty years feels like both a long time and a blink. I don’t want to waste the life I have, so I keep returning to Mary Oliver’s question:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”
I’m beginning to think about that. Maybe you will join me!