10 Things I Learned at 30

I used to be nervous and not very excited about leaving my 20s.  I used to think there were certain milestones I HAD to achieve before I turned the big 3-0. And if those things didn't happen, it meant I wasn't reaching my highest potential... or dare I say it meant I had failed.  A few months before my 30th birthday I shared a sugarcoated version of my feelings about turning thirty with a sweet lady. What she said wasn't profound, but it was just enough to help me keep things in perspective.  She said she used to dread birthdays until she turned fifty.  On her 50th birthday she looked at herself in the mirror and said, "God must think I'm pretty special to have kept me around for this long.  Not everybody gets a chance to say that."  With that being said, here is a very condensed version of what I have learned over the past 29 years.

1. Cherish the ones you love by spending time with them.
2. This life on earth owes you nothing... Jesus already paid the highest price he could for you on the cross.
3. Do what you love- use your gifts.
4. Ask for forgiveness.
5. Make friendships that last a lifetime.
6. Learn to see people through the eyes of Jesus- you never know what battle they are fighting.
7. Be thankful.
8. Accept yourself. You will never be perfect... you are becoming who God created you to be.
9. Your family will be your greatest cheerleader(s).
10. Pray. And then pray some more.

I wish I could tell you my 30th birthday was a day filled with flowers, rainbows, and unicorns... but it wasn't.  I also wish I could tell you I hit every single milestone (you know, things like 2.5 kids frolicking in the front yard surrounded by a white picket fence) that I used to measure my worth and success by, but I didn't.  But I can tell you I am thankful for turning thirty. I am excited about what is in store for this next chapter of my life. I'm learning that God is a way better author and storyteller than I ever dreamed of being.

Thank you, Jesus, for another birthday.

Bk