It has been awhile…..

This season of life (mid 50’s) has brought way too much reflection, most of that has brought pain and regret. The Bible calls our bodies tents, and I think mine is leaking and torn. I truly would have done life much differently given the opportunity. I am not doing well with this getting old thing, from the mentally just described to the pains that have come from an active lifestyle of hard work and harder play. I am reaping what I have sown, but I have no regrets in being known as a hard worker or an adrenaline junkie instead of an armchair quarterback getting fat in front of a TV. God has blessed me with a high tolerance of pain, much of today’s society would milk what I deal with for a free ride. I have learned to live with the shoulders, I do believe God was in them to keep me from letting racing become my god again when he called me back there for Trackside Ministries. Racing is in your blood, and I do miss it badly for the competition and stress relief. My feet the last couple of years have changed my lifestyle, the daily pain so bad walking is hard, and many times that shortens my days with it. My back injury a couple of months ago from the crash is really worrying me, back pain is debilitating in many ways, and it just doesn’t seem to be getting better as I had hoped time would heal. The combination of those two has forced me to slow down and unable to physically do things I used to do. That realization is a hard one to swallow for any aging man, I even remember my dad saying the same thing to me many years ago……it makes me sad.

Mentally……I can’t type out what is going on there…..way too much to unpack.

But God.

He has given me ministries in this aging season of life, ways to share about him at work, social media, and the racing community. I truly believe that when God is stirring in your life, when you are experiencing him in prayer, his Word, and the revelations of himself around you each day, you simply cannot keep it to yourself. (Matthew 10:27) Whenever I get down, he places an encourager in my path from one of those outlets. I am blown away at God working through the sharing of Bibles on FB, so much I want to share about that. I was blown away at the one on one talks and prayers at the last National Enduro this weekend, seeing God at work in our off-road community. I am trying to make a really big decision about ordination so as to help, not hurt, that ministry going forward. (I have been asked to marry couples and can’t.) God has allowed all these aging and painful things, but been at work in all of these good things, and that is how he does his work. (Romans 8:28) His ways are not our ways. (Isiah 55:8) I trust God, through all my physical pains, mental strains, and aging tent, may it all be used for his glory. (11 Corinthians 5:4) #glorytoGod