I went to a 2 day entrepreneur conference called The Thing and will be sharing some thoughts over the next few weeks which I will call The Thing: Unpacked.
Jeff Goins shared a quote from Anne Lamott, “I am all the ages I have ever been”.
This is very true of me
I’m still the 8 year old boy at my father’s funeral
I’m still the 13 year old boy who wonders at how Christ saved me
I’m still the 14 year old boy getting wild at the Junior High dance
I’m still the the 19 year old learning how to follow Jesus
I’m still the 20 year old meeting my wife at camp
I’m still the the 22 year old first time youth pastor
I’m still the 28 year old getting fired from a church.
I’m still the 32 year old who said goodbye to his mother
I’m still the 39 year old who found out he struggled with depression and anxiety
I’m still the the 45 year old who co-wrote his first book.
I’m still the 53 year old who took a part time youth pastor job
I’m currently the 55 year old and some of things that have happened and will happen to me this year will still be with me when I’m 75.
There are a lot of other ages and experiences, too many to list, but…
I don’t believe we are never not 6 years old riding our bikes for the first time by ourselves.
I don’t believe we are never the 14 year old experiencing bullying.
The ages pass but the memories do not. We are all still those people and that’s ok. It’s ok to remember, to celebrate, to recount tales of joy and sorrow, to grieve, to be angry and to be joyful.
I am not one age, I am all the ages. I am not one thing, but many.