25

Twenty-five.
A quarter of a century old.
My silver birthday.
It seems significant. Almost monumental yet I have no words to describe it.
Does age really change us? Or is it more the moments in between the years?
It's funny because I thought I'd be so much further in my life by now but you know what they say, "God has you exactly where He wants you."
[pullquote]They are in fact the difference they hope to receive.[/pullquote]

I think about all the places He has had me. Twenty five years ago on a Monday in June I came home to pink ribbons wrapped around the columns on our house, the first child of the youth minister. A mixture of Kent and Parker and a lot of decades before. I am Evergreen Alabama, Northport, Tuscaloosa, Summer Place in Gwinnett County Georgia, briefly Trace Crossings and home sweet home suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. And I am, after all this time, still trying to get the hang of things.

As my 25th birthday came and went this week, I decided that I need to stop looking at all I don't or can't or haven't and start living in a way that my life inspires; in a way that my life today in the here and now echoes into eternity. God reminded me this week that I have trusted Him without thinking in every step I have taken and every breath I have breathed. Why would I even pause to question His faithfulness in the other stuff?

I looked up the number twenty-five hoping to find a connection to life. There wasn't much there besides the obvious of a silver wedding anniversary, the cents in a quarter and interestingly enough the number often given to the highest slugger on the baseball team. Maybe that means this year will be the home run I've been swinging for all these years.

So I decided to share one of my favorite stories that has to do with Rome and quarters in honor of myself reaching the big 25. After all, birthdays and coins share one thing: making wishes. I read once that all the money thrown into the Trevi fountain is used to help the needy in Rome. How touching that people toss their coins in the fountain wishing for life to be better or different and they in turn make a better life for others. They are in fact the difference they hope to receive. It really is better to give, now isn't it?

I know this post is all over the place so my point in all this is we have the opportunity to pour ourselves into others every day. We can make the difference, inspire, and echo into someone else like a coin in a fountain. But do we? Where do we really invest our money, our hopes, our dreams and our wishes? These words come back to me in sweet harmony: IN CHRIST MY HOPE SECURE.
Two things with this one:

1) Make sure you can really trust the place you deposit your hope and your life. Christ Alone. Cornerstone. :)

2) And remember every day that you carry coins of hope, compassion, kindness, faith, gentleness, goodness and the greatest of these LOVE. How will you spend them?

Here’s to all who have made the last 25 years what they were. Thank you for investing in me, loving me and being a part of my life. So many people come to mind…here’s to the next 25.

-Only Hope