The Timeline of Your Life / Goals / Investing Your Life

My birthday is this weekend and in pondering my age (almost 56) I remembered an exercise that I did with my children when they were younger.  I rummaged around in some old homeschool files and found this timeline that I drew for them when we were talking about the Lord guiding our steps and directing our paths over a lifetime.   When I first drew this little visual aid I was in my early 40s.

Looking at it now I see I am much farther down the path.  :)

As an exercise in examining your own life, print this out and take a few minutes to highlight some of the major times of your life.  It helps to see where you've been and where you may be headed.    If you are farther up in the timeline (20s-30s), age 70 seems like a LONG way away.  I am amazed that it is only 15 years away for me.

When I think back to my 20's and the things I thought I wanted, so much has changed in my perspective.  I wanted to be a famous pianist and entertain.  I tried playing in nice restaurants and for performances and really did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.  I much prefer teaching piano and playing worship music and for weddings.  :)  I wanted a glamorous job which I had my first year out of college for 12 months.  Although it paid well and was very exciting, it  turned out to be an exposure at a young age to things you read about in the tabloids that I wish now I had not been exposed to.   I thought I wanted to be rich and had a great career with a good income which I gave up to have children.  I did not realize how rich I would become in doing that as my children are the dearest  treasures of my life.   I wanted to travel and see the world.  I did much of that when I was younger, traveling every year to some place exciting.  I realized that it's not where you go or the things you see, it's the people you are with that make life an adventure.

Although I have had a very active life, when I look at this timeline I realize that the most treasured highlights of my life are those where I have invested my time in the lives of others--through being a wife and mother, a homeschool mom, a ministry leader, a piano teacher...  It's not the places where I've been or the things I have that I cherish the most, it's the people I have loved and those who have loved me along the way that matter the most... :)  If I had to pinpoint when my change in perspective occurred, I would have to say it was when I became a Christian in my mid-20s.

Here is my timeline with some of the major events notated.  Each event stirs up so many memories for me and all the people, time and energy related to each...the best of times and the worst of times...all of them have helped shape me into who I am today.

I am thankful that I learned at a fairly young age that people are more important than things and that I am blessed with the treasure of so many sweet relationships.   Consider your priorities and where you are spending your own life.  Where does all your energy go?    Maybe it's time for an adjustment. Ask the Lord for discernment and the ability to change the things that may need to be changed.  Later in life, you will be SO glad that you did and yours will be a life well lived without regrets.

Psalm 90:10 

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years...  [with modern medicine some will live into their 90s]

Psalm 32:8 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.