75 CANDLES!

Reflections on My Recent Birthday:

When someone asked how I was planning to celebrate my 75^th birthday, I quipped with a smile: “Celebrating would be too risky, because 75 candles on my cake might cause the whole house to burn down!”

Yet now I’ve had time to reflect on more serious thoughts. How did I ever get so old?!  I can sympathize with the guy who said, “If I knew I would live so long, I would have taken better care of myself!”

For any of us, life goes by in a flash. As the Bible describes so well, “Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14). 

However, the Bible also says that if we recognize the brevity of life, there’s hope we’ll gain wisdom and choose the right priorities—eternal values rather than things that quickly pass away (1 John 2:15-17). A psalm attributed to Moses offers this insightful prayer: “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

This means if there’s something great we hope to accomplish in life, we have no time to waste. We must “seize the day” (carpe diem), lest the moment passes us by. As Leonard Ravenhill used to remind people, “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.”

And I love how Myles Munroe famously pointed out that a graveyard is the richest place on earth, filled with untapped potential, unwritten books, unsung songs, and unfulfilled dreams. He urged people to live fully and “die empty,” making sure their gifts and purpose are shared with the world before they pass. 

Sadly, Dr. Munroe’s own life was tragically cut short by a plane crash at age 60. But, thankfully, his amazing legacy lives on through his writings, his videos, and the many lives he impacted. “Though he is dead, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).

My Senior Discount

I’ve found that there are some perks to being old, although not many. Coffee is cheaper at McDonalds, and our local grocery store offers a senior discount on Thursdays.

When I went to a movie recently, the young girl at the box office charged me full price. “Is that your price for seniors?” I asked her. 

“No, I didn’t realize you were that old,” she replied apologetically. Her mistake was a temporary boost to my self-image, and I also was grateful that she gave me a refund on the ticket price.

Yes, many people think I look younger than my age, which is wonderful. But that always gets me thinking of the hilariously misguided statements often made about aging:

• “Age is just a number!” Yeah, right. And mileage on a car is “just a number” too. But if your car has over 200,000 miles, that’s a very significant number. 

• “You’re only as old as you feel!” While that may be true for some people, in my case it provides no encouragement at all. Although I’m sometimes pegged as someone who is 55 or 65, I often feel more like 95!

• “Old age isn’t for wimps!” This is no doubt true. But as I look back over the various seasons of my life, I realize that courage was needed in every season. College, law school, marriage, kids, grandkids, health challenges, and various geographical and career shifts—I needed valor all along the way. 

As someone has noted about turtles, “They only make progress if they stick out their neck.” Time and again, the Lord has called me to stick my neck out and take uncomfortable steps of faith. 

Are Your Candles Still Burning?

As I reflect on my 75^th birthday, I can’t get over the image of 75 candles burning on a cake. Although that sight would probably be alarming to a Fire Marshall, it challenges us with a very profound lesson: At least the candles are still burning!

The fact is, many people never make it to age 75. And I’m grieved that many 75-year-olds no longer have candles that are still providing any light or fire. Despite having had many years of life, they no longer have much life in their years.

When Jesus said His followers were to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16), He never mentioned any age limit!

Likewise, King David was confident God’s goodness and mercy would follow him “all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6). Thankfully, there’s no expiration date for sowing seeds of the Lord’s kindness to those around us.   

A few years ago, I posted several articles about the dating mishaps of my good friend Ron. Although he was dating Christian women in their 50s and 60s, he lamented that most of them no longer had any passion to impact the world.

“Jim,” Ron told me, “I simply don’t have the same priorities as these women. While I’m still trying to change the world, it seems they’re just planning their next trips to Paris, London, or Rome!”

Like Ron, I’m still trying to change the world, which often puts me at odds with others in my generation. Thanks to a quantum leap in international ministry opportunities, 2025 was perhaps my most fruitful year ever. This is not to boast, but simply to illustrate that God can still graciously use guys who are old and past their prime.

Friend, if you’re old like me, you probably can already see life’s finish line in view. But no matter your age, I pray your “candles” are still burning brightly. With whatever time is remaining, let’s lovingly shine our candles to share the light of God’s Good News to anyone who will listen.