Words I Would Say

I have been tossing around the idea of blogging for awhile, but I have so many friends who do such an awesome job, that I felt intimidated to even try.  Michelle Lunn you are so good at it.  Your blogs are so honest and real I look forward to reading them.  Stacey I had to stop reading yours at work.  I couldn't sit there crying my eyes out with people coming in.  Jamie and Jill you are so awesome at pictures and stories.  It has been so neat watching your kids grow up across the miles.  I feel like I know them.  Maria and Jamie your posts are always so inspiring, and Carrie you always have me checking if my family is safe.  There are so many others out there I love reading.  So I decided why not?

Then I struggled with what will I blog about.  The blogs I listed above are packed full of stories and pictures of cute kids.  Now I have cute kids, well not "cute", handsome and beautiful.  However, at their ages I am sure they don't want me posting their humorous moments.  Though I am sure some will find their way on here.  As I thought about it I was sure God was going to lead me to write a blog about all the wonderful, insightful, helpful, and useful knowledge I had acquired over the years.  Instead what I feel him leading me to write about is where I am right now, and that is The Second Half.  The funny sides of that.  The mood swings, the hot flashes, the night sweats, dribbling when you sneeze, the tears, all sounds wonderful doesn't it?  And the freedom.  Freedom to be at a point where you can laugh at your self.  Where you are not as worried about what everyone thinks. And being comfortable in your own skin, even if it is old and wrinkled. It is nice when it starts to fit like an old, soft, worn out, comfortable sweat shirt.

I have and have had grandparents and great grandparents live well into their 90's, so statistics say I stand a good chance of living that long.  Soooo turning 50 this year puts me starting the second half of my life. "The second half of life" does that bother me?  The number 50 doesn't drive me into a deep state of depression, but to say that half of my life is over and what did I do with it does.  Not to say that I didn't love and enjoy the first half but it certainly went by fast and not sure I accomplished all I set out to do.

Sidewalk prophets have a song titled "Words I Would Say".  So I thought about what are the words I would say to the following areas of life.  What would I tell someone was the main things I learned in the "first half" in regards to being a Mom, a wife, an employee, in ministry, as a friend, and my relationship with God.

Being a Mom - Dirty dishes, laundry, and a clean house will all be there in the second half, your little kids won't.  When they come to you with something to tell you STOP and LISTEN, really listen.  If they learn as a small child that you will take the time to stop and listen, then in their teen and adult years, when they have something important to tell you, they will know you will take the time to stop and listen.

Being a Wife - That Brett is smart (Don't gasp and act like you have NEVER thought you were smarter)  As a young adult in your late 20's or early 30's you suddenly realize your parents were a lot smarter than you gave them credit for.  As a wife in your late 40's or early 50's you come to the same realization about your husband.  The smarter I realized he was, the more responsibility I gave up, and the less stressful my life became.

Being an employee - Do the best you can, and give 100%, but don't waste your time giving 110%.  Chances are you won't be at that same job 10 years from now anyway.  They probably won't even remember your name.  That extra 10% came from some other area of your life where you were only giving 90%.  Probably family or faith.

Being in ministry - Relax, men should lead, and don't be afraid to delegate.  It is pressure off you and allows someone else the chance to grow.

Being a friend - Be open - If you are open about your not so perfect life or past, with the friend you sit down across the table to share a glass of sweet tea with (I don't drink coffee).  Then chances are she is going to heave a sigh of relief, and realize, you are someone she can share her not so perfect life with.  You both benefit.  Thanks Elaine (who does drink coffee).  You don't have to like all the same things or always agree.

My relationship with God - I was saved at the age of 14.  But in my early 40's I learned that God loved me - NO MATTER WHAT.  He wasn't going to love me any more or any less no matter what I did or didn't do.  That was a life changing turning point for me in my relationship with God.  I stopped trying to earn His love and just soak it up.  I wish I had grasped grace at a much earlier age.

So "those are the words I would say".  Any of them profound?  NO  Any of them new? Probably not.  But maybe one of them will speak something in your life today to make you stop, and think, and treat someone different.

So I hope you will drop in once in a while and see what the "second half" of life looks like.  I know some of you joined me on this journey of "50" this year.  I won't mention your names, T, D, R, C you know who you are.  Maybe you can drop by and chuckle with me.  The rest of you maybe it will give you an insight of what to look forward to.
Thanks for reading!