Age is just a number. Or is it?

Recently, one of our granddaughters reached the magical age of 16 and was applying for her driver’s license.

When I reached 16, my next goal was 21 because I would be an official adult, and my parents couldn’t tell me what to do.

Several years ago, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I celebrated birthdays at a restaurant. Her birthday is two days after mine.

As we ate our birthday dinner, she looked at me and said, “So, my dear, how does old feel?”

Without even thinking, which is my MO, I reached across the table, grabbed her arm, started squeezing it, and said, “It feels rather nice.”

Well, there went my birthday present.

One day this past week, I was searching through my library and found my high school yearbook.

As I looked at the photographs, I remembered some of my friends from way back then and wondered how they might look today.

Then, I came across a name I recognized: James Snyder. I recognized the name, but I did not recognize the picture. Who was that person there using my name?

I stared at that picture for a while and did not remember anything. There it was, a young boy with lots of hair and rather skinny. I was tempted to go to the mirror and check out what I looked like today, but then I declined. Why ruin a good thing?

I tried to remember back in those days, and some things came to me. I had a lot of fun playing baseball at school, and I did a lot of things that I wouldn’t have the energy to do today.

One of the things I remember was how hard it was to go to sleep at night. My parents had a curfew at 10 o’clock at night, which is when we were supposed to be in bed sound asleep. I remember those times and how hard it was to sleep at 10 o’clock at night.

Now, right after supper, I look at The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and say, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

She will laugh and nod her head. One of the things that we try to find an excuse to go to bed early, like right after supper.

Thinking about this the other day, I wondered what my life would be like if I had the energy today that I had 50 years ago. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I had that kind of energy today, I probably would be getting into trouble.

What I fail to remember about those days of endless energy is that it always got me into some kind of trouble.

Now that I’m old, I don’t have the energy to get into trouble. When you think of it, that’s a good thing. Getting old isn’t as bad as I once thought.

As I pondered this I was reminded of what good, old Solomon said. “Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10).

I may have some good things in my past, but my best day is today. I don’t have any guarantee for tomorrow. All I can be sure of is today, so I need to make today the best day of my life.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.com