Having turned the ripe old age of 49 on Friday, I can attest that time flies. How am I using this time?

I pray this morning for more wisdom from God than I have, also for discipline for my mind, this body and Spirit than I have, for greater love for all the people in my life. This last prayer is humbling because I understand more now that love is such a costly business. It is about giving myself - ourselves - away, piece by piece; often unappreciated. But that's what makes love Christ-like - to not count the cost. After all, where did my life come from in the first place? Surely our lives are not our own, and are given to us for a while.

I praise You God, that you will renew my life, for ever, with You and all the people You have renewed - all those who You have saved. What a mystery!

Rudyard Kipling, in his poem 'If' says much that is brilliant including:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;

I've had just a little open window for reflection recently, and have considered the great grace of God in allowing me to experience both success and failure in my business life. In ministry triumphs and disasters come in many forms, often at the same time, and it can be unnervingly hard to tell the difference. From God's perspective, He can tell, but from my vantage point on events, it's not always so clear.

I'm also reminded that God guides events with an invisible hand, and with perfect timing. My past disasters and failures are really of little consequence, and His triumphs and successes are to be celebrated.

Imposters? Well, to the extent that with the passage of time, the truly meaningful events are often those that go unnoticed at the time. The take-home truth is to renew my energy for spending time alone with God, and loving the people in my life with Christ's expensive love. Really, everything else is just details.