In less time than it takes to parse “I ain’t no whippersnapper, Sonny,” I’ll be observing a birthday whose number is linked in *Scripture with being strong. When my father reached that milestone, his birthday card included my simple message: “You made it!” I went on to extol the continuing strengths I saw in him.
As I approach that same number of years, I know that I can’t credit my well-being to brawny musculature, sturdiness of frame or physical toughness. I’m not approaching this birthday with the kind of robust bodily capabilities that some might correlate to living well. I can’t lift, carry, move, drag or grasp things like I used to. Climbing ladders is out of the question, as are Mr. Universe contests and pole-vaulting. I take more breaks.
I’m grateful for good health, another way of thinking about strength. Because of my parents and spouse, I’ve maintained a healthy lifestyle for decades. I am relatively free of diseases or conditions that can handicap older adults. I am limber and agile. My brain and body systems work just fine.
Remembering that long-ago birthday card, I recall other ways in which my father was strong: He was loving, perceptive, honest and selfless. An insistent spiritual core fueled his quiet leadership. Others admired him for his kindness, thrift, humility and generosity. His stamina was unflagging; he worked hard at whatever he chose to do.
As I come up on four-score years, I hope that I’ve inherited some of my father’s Spirit-graced strengths. As my natal feast day draws near, I hope to sum all these decades of my life by practicing what the Psalmist encouraged: “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” (Psalm 90:12 CEV) And yes, I look forward to this no-longer-whippersnapper birthday.
With all my strength….!
*You can find the context for this assertion in Psalm 90:10. Some translations substitute health or luck for the attribute of strength.
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