27 Years

I've been "contemplative" lately. This mood typically comes up at certain times of year- Easter, Christmas, significant milestones in school... and my birthday- which is tomorrow. I'll be 27 years old. I've been thinking lately "what have I done with the 27 years God has entrusted to me? What have I accomplished in this time? I know when you usually think of 27 as an age, you don't necessarily except that much. Some education, a job, maybe started a family. But since we're blessed with enough health to live to 70, 80, even 90 (my grandfather, who is 92 or 93, is flying out to CO today from CA- I want to be that healthy in my 90's!) we don't really expect that much from a 27 year old- they have decades left in which to "accomplish something"- and most significant accomplishments are made later in life, in part because of the wisdom and experience gained throughout life. But lets think about 27 in a different way. How do we respond when someone has held the same job for 27 years? Or worked in the same volunteer position for 27 years? How about being married, attending a church, living in the same house, for 27 years? suddenly we realize it is actually a long time! And that's what got me thinking- How have I used the 27 years God has given me so far? They are as much a gift- and responsibility- as any future decades He has planned for me. So let's look back... Initially, I learned the basics. Walking, talking. Feeding myself, dressing myself. Reading and writing. Basic relationship skills- things like sharing. So granted, several of my 27 years were devoted to nothing exceptional, simply the things we all learn. (Another reason we expect less from a 27 year-old). But those skills are important, and gifts. There many people who can't walk or talk or take care of themselves. So those are all accomplishments, meant to enable me for the future. Let's move on. I learned more "advanced skills." More education- things like algebra, history, essay-writing, German. I also began to think about the future- "what will I be when I grow up." I did some traveling- California, Yellowstone... Germany. I was building relationship skills, learning valuable lessons like not building yourself up by putting others down, and not putting friends before family. And, in 3rd grade, my mom started taking us to church. Of course there were accomplishments- becoming an Honor Star, then an Honor Sponsor, being in the choir and orchestra... but those things aren't what church is all about. I can't even remember the first time I asked Jesus to be my Savior (I loved the idea of eternity in heaven) but I remember very clearly the December night when I was in middle school that I finally asked Him to be my Lord. I had seen "something different" in some of the wonderful godly people He had put in my life and I wanted what they had, wanted to know Him and not just of Him. I think that decision was probably the most significant in my life- making Him Lord has, I'm sure, changed the course of my life. Yes, I probably still would've been a doctor, still would love parrots and piano... but I'd be a very different person. And in some sense, I suppose the more relevant question right now is not what I've done with 27 years but what I've done with the years since I made Him Lord- how have I served Him? I've continued in school- through middle school, high school, college and now more than 3/4 of medical school. I'm proud of that- not just because it's been hard work, but because I know it's all been by God's design. I know He called me to be a doctor, I know He called me to CC, I know He called me to Pittsburgh. There is absolutely no doubt about that. And as I am even now in the midst of applying to residency, I'm trusting He'll guide me to the program and city He intends for me to spend the next season of my life in. Aside from education... I've progressed a lot in violin, piano and singing, and have been in multiple choirs and orchestras. That, too, I believe, pleases Him- I love to worship with my voice, with instruments... with my heart. I've built strong relationships with my family- and come understand the value of family. I've also found a few lifetime friends, friends to cherish. I've had a few jobs- the music library at CC, working on the 5th floor at Penrose, pediatric neurosurgery at Children's, and now as a tour guide for the med school. All of them were significant and God-ordained. They were jobs I enjoyed where I connected with people and gained skills that I'll use in the future. I'm sure I could go on- I recently had to update my "CV"- my resume for residency applications. I've done a lot. But in some ways I'm just beginning- my main call in life is to be a doctor, and next year I get to start to live that out. I certainly want a family someday- I'm not even close to beginning that! It's easy to feel that I haven't accomplished much in these years, that I'm still "investing in the future." But taking time to prepare for your future calling is a significant accomplishment, and an important season God calls each of us to. Some of us find ourselves in prison like Joseph, some of us wander the desert like Moses... and some of us round on patients at 4am and stand in a cold OR for 7 hour surgeries! But those times of preparation are not only significant, they're essential. So I'm proud to have spent my time preparing to be who He called me to be, even if I haven't "been" that person yet. But I think I've also made more contributions to His Kingdom during this time of preparation than I realize. I used to remind myself over and over "don't despise the day of small things." Moses was a blessing to his Midianite family, and Joseph was a blessing to the head guard in the prison, not to mention the baker and butler. So even while I'm "preparing", I'm accomplishing. I've taught precious children that God loves them, I've shown my wonderful co-workers what it means to really serve God. I'd like to think I've been a blessing to my family and friends. I recently found myself thinking about the "mundane tasks of ordinary life." When I'm taking the dog out, emptying the dishwasher or running to the grocery store, I'm to do those things as for the Lord. When I'm seeing patients in the hospital, writing progress notes, or studying for endless tests, I'm serving the Lord. Sometimes we thing we have to do remarkable things in order to call it significant. But what makes it "remarkable"- it's something that someone else finds worth mentioning- something they'll remark on. If God is my Lord, then my goal should be to do whatever He finds remarkable- and His value system is very different from the worlds. My friend that stays home and teaches piano lessons is one of the most remarkable people I know. She doesn't have a fancy degree or impressive title- but she impacts countless lives, is totally committed to her family, and has a heart that serves God in all she does. That's the kind of "remarkable" I want to be. I think the most important thing I've done with my 27 years, or perhaps I should say the last 14 years, has been developing the relationship I have with Jesus. I've read the Bible- yes, Dr Edington, the entire Bible- several times. I've learned to pray throughout my day, to trust God when I don't know where He's leading or how He'll get me through. I've learned surrender, and hope, and repent. I'm learning how to pour His life into others, and how to seek His Kingdom before any earthly thing. But most importantly, I've made Him first in my life such that I know in the present, no matter how small my task, He's pleased when I do it with a heart for Him. And in the future, regardless the mistakes I may make or the seasons I might go through, I'll always be His, and He'll always be my Lord. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.