And so, here I am. 40 years old today.
I wish I had some baby pictures to post for the world today but alas, I have zero baby pictures. I’m pretty certain I wasn’t a result of some sort of holy conception or arrived as a grown boy in an alien ship.
I have some memories as a young boy but my concrete memories didn’t really form until I immigrated to this country at the age of 6. And whatever pictures I had of my life before then perished in an apartment fire that devastated that building and subsequently, our family.
No baby pictures but nevertheless, 40 years old today and thus, officially…my mid-life reflection.
There was a time when I could not even conceive the idea of being 40 years old. For many years, I so wanted to be older and now that I’m here, there’s been a dose of reality that has been an adjustment of sorts. While it’s not that I feel old per se but it’s that unlike never before,
I’ve come to see more intimately my mortality.
There was a time in my younger days when I felt so invincible but that has changed.
- Whether it’s seeing loved one pass away.
- The literal physical breakdown of my body
- And an unexpected and growing sense of fear of failure and rejection unlike I’ve never experienced before.
But nevertheless, I’m just humbled by this gift of life.
Today, I’ll wake up in the morning and say a prayer of gratitude to Jesus – not only for the gift of life but the gift of redemption and salvation. Then, I’ll call my parents to thank them for their extraordinary sacrifices that have enabled me with countless opportunities. Then, I want to give my wife, Minhee, a 10 second kiss. And then give the kids a great hug and ask the question again:
Who’s your Daddy?
I’m thankful for the past 4o years and curious what the next 40 years will hold. Rather than seeing it as 40 years to death, I’d like to learn to see it as another 40 years of
living faithfully, passionately, and generously for the glory of Christ.
If you’ve got some words of wisdom for me, let me know!
On a side note, I’ve been asking friends for
2 favors for my birthday:
- Share the vision of ODW by simply posting this video on your Facebook wall. So simple but for a new organization with nearly zero budget for advertisement, this is huge. (That video is also available via YouTube)
- My 2nd birthday request is for you to simply visit my personal ODW birthday campaign page in hopes that it might inspire you to do something similar for your birthday. Only if you’re able and not over-committed with your personal giving, you’re welcome to give – even $10 – to help me towards my goal of $40,000. Your donations will go towards projects for medicine, education, water, etc. In short, they will go to provide opportunities. Because my personal philosophy is to never ask people to do something I’m not willing to do, Minhee and I are donating a month’s wages towards this campaign.
