I recently turned 30 years old, and while that thought never
bothered me, it seems that I noticed an immediate difference.
A week after my birthday I left for a mission trip to Haiti.
While there I got to play football with some American Division I athletes, and
basketball with Haiti’s Olympic Junior National (U19) Team. Whether getting
burned for deep touchdown passes or being the last person down the court on a “fast”
break, it was occurring to me that I am not in college any more. It didn’t help
that I found myself about 65 lbs. over my college weight.
(me playing in Haiti)
Getting older doesn’t bother me, but some of the aches and
pains associated with it does (for the record, I’m now 15 lbs. under my Haiti
weight). I realize that 30 is still young, and eventually the aches and pains
will be more frequent and won’t be associated with pretending I can still keep
up with college kids.
Paul encouraged the Philippian believers by letting them
know that their physical bodies would soon be replaced with something far
better. He said Jesus, “will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His
glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all
things to Himself (3:21).”
There is only so much I can do to help myself. And let’s face
it, ice cream still holds more appeal than getting in shape does. But when my
time on earth is finished, Jesus Christ will transform my body into one like
His post-resurrection body. That is something all believers can look forward
to.
