The Seventh Decade

Life seems to be full of questions and I know by now that I don’t have all the answers. When I began thinking and praying about this blog this title came to my mind. But I had so many ideas that I had a difficult time deciding what to do. I thought, “Let’s see what Google has”. It was surprising. There are thousands of entries for this title.

When I read them I realized that I ask this question myriads of times in my life. I ask it when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am confused, when I am planning, and when I am traveling. I ask this about my marriage, my education, my daughter, my purpose, my church, my neighborhood, my cooking, my shopping, and I could go on and on….

The important times seem to be with life changes like the end of high school or college, after divorce or separation, after an illness, after addiction treatment, or when starting or ending a business or job. But frequently, the every day choices are crucial. Meeting one person can change my entire life and where do I go from there, has a quick answer. A friend mentioned a need she had in her life one Sunday and I told her I had a friend who had experience in that area. That may be the one contact she needed for her business to take it to the next level. One person. The new friend is interested in helping people in her country of origin, so it looks like a match. Wow!

The mundane issues of being stuck with a software glitch have me crying out, “Where do I go from here?”Or trying to find a lost item brings me to my knees with “Where….” on my mind, especially if the item is irreplaceable or a “paci” or “blankie” or shoe. What parent hasn’t had a crisis over a lost clothing item or toy?

I ask “Where do I go from here?” about my health and my diet. Where do I go to get the gluten free, dairy free, egg free foods that I need this week? Eating the same way every week can get boring. Veggies, fruits, veggies, fruits, salads, etc. I have found that who I ask can be a benefit or a burden. I would not ask my allergy free friends for tips on eating. I do not call my husband for help with a computer problem, even though he can figure out problems there better than I can. Why? He does not think he can help me.

I call someone who has expertise in that area. If I am wise, I will call on God first, but sometimes I get so caught up in the problem that I miss the obvious. God knows everything! He may tell me to ask a person, but He knows everything. A helpful verse is “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” from Psalm 46:1 of the Bible in the King James Version.