(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)
I woke up to a myriad of birthday greetings and I appreciate every one. Marti wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday so I told her. I wanted to go to an Angels game but they are playing the Rangers in Texas. So I said I wanted to go to our son, Christopher’s house, sit in his recliner and enjoy three hours of guiltless television baseball on his large screen TV complete with hot dogs, beer and peanuts. Not sure about the peanuts but we’re going to do it. I also told him he had to guarantee a win for my birthday (apologies to all our Texas Catch citizens) and he said no problem.
I won’t tell you how old I am, but I will tell you that I am asking God for 10 more years so that I can say along with Caleb on his 85th birthday, “As my strength was then [40 years earlier] so it is today. Give me the giants!” No, not the San Francisco Giants, but the giants in the land of Canaan “in whose eyes the spies were as grasshoppers.” These were the people most feared by the children of Israel who had to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness because of their fear of the people in the land, even though the Lord said He had given them into their hand. That’s why Caleb wanted the giants. After all they had gone through in the wilderness — and he and Joshua were the only ones who lived through those 40 years because they never backed off from going into the land — he wanted to show off his faith. And he did just what he said he would do.
Caleb’s strength had nothing to do with his age, and everything to do with his Lord. That’s the faith you want to have at 75, 85, 95 and up (or 75 and down, too).
Thank you to all my well-wishers.
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