On Turning 33 and Living Life to the Full

Today I turn the big 33. It's not considered a "milestone" age, like turning 16 or 21 or 30. However, it is significant to me to think that I am now the same age that Jesus reputedly was when He completed His ministry on Earth and was crucified, resurrected and ascended.



Last night I was ruminating on how Jesus approached His ministry and His life in general. He seemed to take every day on Earth in stride, always living in the moment and not rushing to the next event or looking ahead to the next appointment. He had a peace in the middle of the storms, both literally and figuratively.



Of course, you could argue that, being one of the Trinity, He knew all that would happen, and had no reason to worry or fret about the future. However, while I'd like to think that knowing about the future would give me a huge sense of calm and peace, I have a feeling that if I knew some of the negative things destined for my life, I'd probably live with a sense of dread of the future.



And Jesus certainly knew what His earthly future held, including every agonizing detail of the torturous death to come, made even more agonizing by His separation from God. Despite knowing this, the Gospels never give an indication that Jesus lived a lifestyle of worry and dread about the future. He did not let the frustrations of life detract from His joy and peace. That is not to say that He was looking forward to the crucifixion--His grief-stricken prayer for deliverance in the Garden of Gethsemane certainly say otherwise.



But while it would be tempting to walk through life with the attitude of dread, Jesus embraced His earthly life fully. He took the time to hang out with children, to feed thousands of people, to speak words of kindness and healing to the downtrodden. And I think He didn't just live His life, but actually enjoyed it fully. Can't you imagine Him getting a kick out of walking on the water? Or having a twinkle in His eye as He performed some miracle?



Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." A couple of years ago, I adopted this as my "life verse"--hence, the title of my blog. I realize that Jesus didn't just promise abundant life for us, but also lived an example of that life--a life that, while not free from pain and suffering, was free from the emotional and spiritual bondage that often accompany the hardships of life.



As I enter my 33rd year of life, more than ever I want to emulate Jesus. I particularly feel a desire to enjoy the life that God has gifted me with, even if it's not necessarily the life I would have designed for myself. I want to be more thankful now than I ever have before, and to see each day as a blessing created especially for me by the Creator of the universe.



Whatever age you are, may you too be filled with thankfulness and a determination to live life to the full!