25 years ago today, I was born on West Wilkins Street in Lincoln, Nebraska.
I lived with my parents and my older sister.
I was at Rejoice in the Lord Church–4111 NW 44th Street–for church the next Sunday.
25 years later–today–I am here.
I live in Lincoln, Nebraska with two roommates. My parents, two brothers, and a sister live across the lawn. Two more brothers live across town. My older sister lives in a smaller town a couple of hours away.
I am attending church at Lincoln Christian Fellowship–4111 NW 44th Street–this morning. It’s the church I’ve attended all my life.
Check out a slide show of the in-between: Commemorating a Quarter-Century
A quarter of a century passes quickly–and those who have gone before me tell me that the second quarter passes even more quickly.
Not much has changed in this quarter century–and everything has changed in this quarter century.
I entered this world helpless, sinful, desperately needy. Today I stand as a conqueror, made righteous, wanting nothing. God has changed me in this 25 years–drawing me to Himself, transforming me through the cross, conforming me to His image.
I look forward to the next 25 years–the summer of my life. I know not what the future will bring. I know not what changes are in store for me. I suspect they may be great.
But I enter this season expectantly, not hesitantly–for there is one thing I know:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
Romans 8:28-30
God has foreknown me. God has predestined me. He has called me. He has justified me. He is in the process of conforming me to the image of His Son. And someday, whether in this next quarter century or another, He shall glorify me–so that I can glorify Him for eternity.
Ah, I can rejoice in the next years of my life–for I have an assurance that goes far beyond the power of time and matter.
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39
Happy birthday!