Reflections on Sixty Years

Youth has strength and beauty. 

Old age has wisdom and resources. 

Together, we have all the things that the world has to offer.

The Lord has even given us sufficient that we can have wonderful vacations together to connect and unify us -- and bring a little joy into our humdrum lives. Because I have resources -- you do too! 

As I am now officially old, perhaps I also have a little wisdom to share. 

I love you. 

I love all of you, in every sense of that term: I love each of you, and I love all that you individually are. 

I know everyone has a different path, and I love seeing how different each of your paths are. 

I love walking down your path with you -- both the joys and sorrows. 

I love your stories. 

I love your likes and dislikes.

I love your politics. 

I love your tattoos

I love your ideas and philosophies. 

I love your wins and losses. 

Pure love is wonderful! 

It’s true what Paul says -- charity, pure love, is the greatest of all. 

If I could, I would give each of you the gift of love, the love of God, or charity. Though I could buy you anything of the world, I cannot give charity to you. 

I am sad that I cannot give what is truly valuable, such as: 

Experiences -- Nobody can understand anything we have not personally experienced, you must individually experience your own life. I cannot give my experience to you. 

Love -- I can tell you I love you, but that doesn’t mean you feel it. 

Testimony of Jesus Christ -- I can tell you that I know Him and love Him, but that doesn’t give you a testimony. 

• He is everything to me. 
• He is my waking in the morning and my laying down at night, and everything in between. 
• He fills my needs. 
• He gives me hope. 
• He gives me love. 
• He helps me. 
• He comforts me. 
• He guides me. 
• I only need Him, everything else is superfluous. 

I can tell you that I know, I can tell you what I feel, I can tell you my experiences, but that doesn’t give them to you. 

I would like to give you a gift, but, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: 

“Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself. Thou must bleed for me.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gifts: an essay

I wish to give a portion of myself. I give what I have. I give time, money, effort, thought, and, hopefully wisdom. While I cannot actually give you what I love the most, my gift to each of you on my birthday is a gift of hope -- my hope: I hope that each of you will seek Him. “Seek, and ye shall find.” I guarantee this is true. I assure you that all your efforts are worth the benefits. He is great! He is good! He is so much better than anything the world has to offer! Everything of the world is fleeting, the Taki bag empties, vacations come to an end, money comes and goes, children grow up, people die, the weather changes, indeed, everything changes, but the love of God, charity, the greatest gift of all the gifts we can receive in life, is forever. Don’t just look for something good -- look for the BEST. It’s worth every sacrifice you make. 

I hope that each of you seek what is eternal. I have made a study of eternity all my life. I don’t know much, but I do know something. If you have any questions about eternity or what is eternal, I hope you will ask. I may not be able to give you what you’re looking for, but I may be able to tell you where to look. Look for Christ. 

With Love, 

Scott