ENCOURAGEMENT 56 november 2024 www.goodnewsfl.org Good news • South Florida edition "I'm aging." This was my reaction upon watching a movie depicting a death scene, prompting the scary thought of my eventual demise. Likewise, it offered a glimpse as to how far I had traveled, how maturity had reached me and how my childish ways were now in the rear-view mirror. Very deep stuff, given these conclusions were reached by an 8-year-old boy! And as my grandpa held my hand while exiting the theater and I gazed at his grizzled tired face, it dawned on me that someday I would be him. The prediction made so many decades ago came to fruition in aces as I look at myself today... how did we get here? “It Was a Very Good Year” Well, "The Chairman of the Board" sang it best in his 1965 hit which led to a Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance of the year. In it he starts by describing his teenage phase... "When I was seventeen, it was a very good year with soft summer nights on the village green.....when I was seventeen." Behind me were the concerns of a young immature boy; now, at this ripe age, my greatest accomplishments were laid at my feet; "I knew everything." Oh, the power of walking through high school halls wearing a letter jacket with a college scholarship in hand anxiously awaiting conquering the world. What could possibly stop my prescribed destiny? I was bilingual/bi-cultural, an athlete, much smarter than my parents and teachers, great personality and so popular in social circles. What could possibly go wrong? "When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year for city girls who lived up the stairs.....when I was twenty-one." My fear of 13 years before had somehow crept back into my psyche. I was aging once again. My glory day dreams disappeared with the knowledge that once allowed to be on my own, the world around me grew at such a rapid pace that it blotted my perceived confidence. Something did go wrong, for now I was an adult in an adult world dealing with adult problems... the honeymoon was over. All the girls up the stairs could not diminish my fears regarding the many life battles awaiting me; intuitively the dark clouds could be seen on the horizon. "When I was thirty-five, it was a very good year for blue-blooded girls of independent means, we'd ride in limousines... when I was thirty-five." Well, I joined Frank Sinatra during those years, for I did ride in limos and private jets, traveled the world, met very interesting and dangerous people and had the time of my life. Well, it wasn't really me but my alter ego, the undercover persona carefully molded to suit the needs of the government. With the passage of time, my identity likewise quietly passed, as I became a faded facsimile of myself. What happened to me? Who have I become? Where am I going? Questions asked in quiet desperation that left me empty, wishing to just ride my bike and leave the fancy transportation to others. I had reached the pinnacle of life while wallowing in regrets, for those "were the best of times and the worst of times." Autumn But then, "the days are short, I'm in the autumn of the year, and I think of myself as vintage wine from fine old kegs, from the brim to the dregs, it poured sweet and clear, it was a very good year." The realization that half of my existence had been extinguished leaving nothing but a trail of pain, frustration, losses and damaged souls gnawed at my soul. Something had to give, and that is when He showed up and offered me a deal I couldn't refuse; eternal life through the auspices of his Son. So I spent most of the autumn of my years slowly deciphering Scripture with sporadic attempts at actually doing what God asked of me. With supernatural patience, Jesus took me by my somewhat reluctant hand and allowed me to understand and love Him with the passage of time. "And now we have reached the winter of my years, the final season of my life." Somehow, Frank left that season out of his tune but given my situation it had to be inserted. These made-up lyrics compile a view of the last days, the best days of my life. In the midst of a cold blistering world, I sit cozy receiving the daily warmth of the Holy Spirit. I try valiantly daily not to be lukewarm, for I don't want the Lord to spit me out. Regrets, sorrow, sadness and frustration have given way to joy, contentment, peace of mind and optimism. The Lord saved the best for last in my life by rewarding me with a loving wife, wonderful brothers and sisters, the ability to be generous and a Scripture driven church. He also saved the best for last in His promises as the final two chapters of the Bible direct me to God's House where I will dwell with Him for eternity... it was a very good year, my Jesus is always near. Time Is on My Side - Omar Aleman - Aleman and Associates
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