Past 50 - Birthdays & Presents

When one is past 50, one might not want others to remember their birthdays. I read in one British survey that middle age begins only at 55 and old age does not begin until 74. Then I can consider myself still young, young in heart and by God's grace filled with His energy to soar with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40). These few weeks of rest and inactivity have done me a world of good, seeing how hectic and stressful the first half of the year had been. I have gained a couple of pounds, even when I got back from Korea I was told that I looked different from the haggard and tired Pemangku of the second quarter of the year. The third quarter of 2016 is rest and I hope in the Lord I can get back on my feet in terms of some form of ministry for the last quarter of the year. By in what form or where only God knows.
My birthday this year was special for various reasons. My close family members all sent me early morning birthday greetings. First was my mother and then my son. Yes, my son's 6.30am greeting came with a gift of not an insignificant amount from his first pay cheque of his new job in Auckland (his second job on the trot).  And then my friends from College made my day. I was thinking perhaps now exactly a month after my end of service and moving out from College, no one would remember their former Acting Principal as life goes on and people move on. And I have not told anyone at College of my birthday. But 6 former students sent greetings which gestures I will not forget and a few went out of their way to make my birthday extra special with beautifully designed e-cards and creative emojis. I have to look up the emoji meaning dictionary to decipher their messages just in case there is some hidden or concealed secret. But all in good humour it seemed. And as was my custom in ministering and being in the house of the Lord during my previous birthdays, I spent a couple of hours in prayers with a few close friends from church. It was good to meet with a young leader, a good friend perhaps now in his early 40s but saddled with grave responsibility in church.