Today is June 24.
Sixty six years ago at a small hospital in West Point, Mississippi Jack
and Dot Drees welcomed their first child into the world. They named him William Harold. Most folks knew him as Billy when he was
younger. Mother started calling me Bill
when I went to college. She thought I
looked younger than the other college kids and dropping the y made me seem less
like a kid. I grew up in Columbus, MS
but the year I was born we lived in West Point because dad was the assistant
manager of the Piggly Wiggly and I tell people I was born in West Point because
I wanted to be near my mother at that time.
I know it’s a tired old joke but I like it and I don’t get many
opportunities to use it. Sorry!
As I reflect on the significance of this date I realize that
66 is not much of a milestone. We often
seem to think of the birthdays that have some significance, like 15 (I got my
driver’s license) or 18 (I was eligible to be drafted into the military…not a
great day in the late 60’s. I also could
vote. By the way my first presidential
vote was for Nixon. Ending the draft was
probably a big factor. Then he quit…so
much for my first presidential vote). At 65 I qualified for Medicare and at 66
I qualify for my full Social Security benefit.
Also birthdays ending in a zero are often distinct because we are
entering into a new decade. With that in
mind entering the last half of my 70th decade is not that
thrilling. Psalm 90:10 reminds me of the
brevity of 70 years as “The days of our years are threescore years
and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their
strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” After this there is no great
consequence for another birthday number except marking the day one dies when
people will say, “Wow, I didn’t realize
he was that old” or “Man, I thought
he was older than that.” Seriously,
I have learned to appreciate every day of life, especially since I should have
died in 2001. If interested, you can go
back to the blog archive for February 2010 and read ‘Life is Good’…or you could
take me to lunch and I will share more info.
After all, it is my birthday, and a late birthday lunch…with cake for
dessert would be OK.
As I grow older I seem to lean to nostalgia more often than
when I was younger and busier with ‘important things’ that seemed to
matter. Some of those things did matter
quite a bit but it is interesting how ‘things that matter’ seem to change as
life moves along. We have plans and
ambition but life has a way of changing our plans and teaching us how
unpredictable the road of life can be. “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” is an old
Yiddish adage meaning, “Man Plans, and
God Laughs.”
Mother told me when I was too young to remember that people
would ask me, “What do you want to be
when you grow up?” I would smile and
say, “Nothing!” That was cute when I was 4 but as I got older
I realized I needed to develop something more concrete. I never remember living a day without an
awareness of God in my life. I also
seemed to have always have a sense that God had a plan for me. However, my theology was not developed well
enough to know how to discern His plan so I just enjoyed the ride until I got
out of college and mother was probably worried that I was trying to achieve my
childhood goal of being ‘nothing’. My primary ambition was to enjoy life. I had fun, good clean fun, but there comes a
time when one realizes that such a vocation does not usually have great
compensation.
Although I was a believer, as I stated earlier, I was not
mature enough in my faith to discern God’s will for my life. As I look back I realize how strongly His
hand was guiding me even when I was unaware, especially when I was
unaware. My home church was without a
pastor and I visited another church in town with a couple of friends. I did not know the pastor but somehow felt a
connection that caused me to show up at his office to ask for his guidance as I
“felt that God was calling me to preach.” I was initially disappointed as I expected
him to say, “Can you be ready Sunday?” However, his advice was exactly what I
needed. I was able to reconnect years
later, as a fellow pastor, and thank him for his wise words. I have shared his words to many other young
men seeking to follow God’s call over the years.
Among the things he shared was guidance to get more involved
in God’s word. “If God is going to speak to you that is where you will hear his voice
most clearly.” God spoke clearly to
me as I read in Proverbs 16:3 for the first time; “Commit your works to the Lord and
your plans will be established.”
God seemed to be speaking personally and directly to me telling me that
He had an established plan for my life and I needed commit all my actions to
Him and he would take care of the rest.
Well it is not quite that simple, I am reminded of the preacher who
said, “I asked God to give me a message
but I had to study for this one as well.”
We have to do the required work as we follow His lead but if we
commit ourselves to Him, no matter what the vocation or direction may be, He
will guide us along His plan.
Most of the folks who knew me as Billy growing up would have
never predicted me to be a preacher. Oh,
they knew me to be a good kid but extremely shy. In fact, when I told mom and dad that I
believed God was calling me to be a preacher; I never knew until many years
later that when I left the room mom looked at dad and said, “I don’t think the boy will make it.” She loved me but also knew how timid I
was.
Committing my works to the Lord led me to the wonderful wife
God had already established for me and two daughters who have grown to be women
whom I am proud of beyond words. His
established plan also allowed the shy timid boy to grow to be a man who has
been blessed to preach on five of the seven continents on this planet. It has been quite a journey, far greater than
anything I could have planned. I have
certainly learned over the years that life is fleeting and fragile, so I don’t
know how long the journey may last but I live each day confidently that His
plan, and my days, are established in His hand.
Forgive the personal reflection, but I hope the message will
come across to you that no matter what age or stage in life you may find
yourself, Proverbs 16:3 still works. It
is never too late to give it a try.
