Thirty-Three

Thirty-three years ago today, I came into this world. Unlike turning 16, 18, 21, 30, 40, or any of those other decade ages, this particular birthday does not have any sort of special celebration attached to it. I didn’t get a brand new driver’s license or the opportunity to vote. But despite the world’s view that turning 33 is not a big event, in my mind, it is.

For a few months now, I’ve been contemplating this new age. Mostly because Jesus was 33 when he died. I wasn’t thinking about it with a fatalistic attitude of “turn 33 and die”; instead, I was thinking about all that Jesus had accomplished by the time He was 33.

When I was growing up, I didn’t spend much time daydreaming. Instead, I spent my time writing lists with goals I wanted to achieve and the steps I would take to accomplish them. Consequently, I was a bit of an overachiever.

Over the years, I have scaled back and tried to let God direct my paths instead of my lists. So, when this birthday arrived, I didn’t have a vision of what 33 should look like or where I should be at this point in my life. Consequently, I am not disappointed. There are definitely a few things I wish I had in my life already, but I haven’t lost hope that God can still add them to my life in future years. I’m grateful for the people God has put in my life to encourage me and inspire me. So for the most part, I feel content with where God has brought me over the past 33 years. And, I look forward to seeing where He takes me from this point forward.