I Like Cucumbers!

It amazes me how much we change over time. Each glance in a mirror reminds us: we see a few more wrinkles here and there, a little graying on the top of our heads (or that ever-expanding bald spot!), added pounds, and the overall look of the aging process.

The changes wrought by the advancement of time are noticeable in other ways, as well. Our likes and dislikes, interests, hobbies, and sensibilities evolve through the years. There was a time, not that long ago, when I did not like cucumbers (unless they were pickled!). I avoided them, well, like George Bush 41 avoids broccoli. There was time when I cringed at the sound of a banjo and fiddle; today, bluegrass music is my favorite. Many years ago, I spent most of my nights playing computer games until dawn; today, I view such activity as a waste of time.

We do not always stay the same. Life is about changing, maturing, growing wiser. Without change, life remains stagnant, naïve, unproductive, unfortunate. The Apostle Paul said it best when he made this appeal in 1 Corinthians 13.11: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”

Childhood is a wonderful part of one’s life. I cherish my memories of growing up. Yet, childhood lasts for but a little while. In the scheme of a lifetime, it is only a small portion of one’s walk on this earth.

Have you changed in the course of your lifetime? Have you matured? Have you grown wiser? I hope the changes in your life have not merely been superficial—added wrinkles, graying hair, added pounds. I hope that the experiences of your life have made you sharper, more discerning. I hope that you have grown in your sense of responsibility and in your seriousness about life. I hope your personality has developed and has been tempered with reason, patience, and resolve. I hope your faith has grown and your dependence upon God has deepened.

Let us challenge one another to continually grow. For, without growth there can be no life.