Well friends, it’s today. No more twenty-somethings, it’s official. Today marks a big transition, one into a new decade and a new season of life.
I was driving into work today thinking about what would be special to write for today. I began to reflect on my life over the last three decades and came up with these thoughts. When I think about lessons that have become integral to my life, principles I use to guide me, and trends I’ve seen play out countless times, here are the ones I, Jimmy McCarty, would consider some of the most precious gems.
Everything Looks Different In the Morning
I don’t know why this is the case, but for an analytic such as myself, thoughts, worries, anxieties, problems, challenges, conflict, turmoil, etc. are all capable of robbing me of peace. I hate not having closure. I hate not having resolve. I hate problems being left unaddressed or left mid-stream. But there’s something about a good night’s sleep to change your perspective. Everything just looks different in the morning…I don’t know why, but it works.
Doubt Doesn’t Make Sense
I ask questions. It’s strange because I’m not by nature a curious person, but I do love to understand. Whether science or the enemy or some combination of both, doubt is readily available to those who would entertain it. Even here at my 30th, I have doubts. I wonder about God…an invisible force that I claim to have a relationship with… When I was six years old I had an experience I can’t explain…without using God as an explanation. In the last twenty-four years I’ve revisited that experience every time I stray into doubt. If that wasn’t God, then give me a better explanation because He’s the best I got.
Change is the Only Constant
Change is hard for everyone. Even those that “like” change have parts of it they don’t like. It’s inevitable. I would go so far as to say it’s healthy and necessary. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Lighting Matters
Environments seem to both inspire change, ease transitions and sometimes even determine success. People that know me well know that I hate bad lighting. I can’t eat a meal in my apartment unless the harsh florescent lights in the kitchen are turned off. I don’t know what it is, but lighting makes a difference. I like worship in darkness or candlelight…it just makes it more intimate.
Destiny is Within Reach
I’ve never had a problem believing that destiny was within my capacity to achieve. I don’t know if it’s perpetual idealism or optimism but it’s irrational to me to see people fail to reach their potential. As I’ve matured though, I’ve come to accept that destiny is rarely achieved. It’s a sobering thought. I refuse to let that be my legacy.
Inspiration is a Powerful Force
People may make hard decisions at certain times in their lives, but the things that genuinely inspire us can change even the core of who we are. We’re a generation that thrives on the profound and the poetic and love creativity and artistry. Inspiration can change someone’s life and keep them on a course toward a vision even when things get difficult.
Sin is Easy
Growing up I had this perpetual confusion at how people could possibly be drug addicts, promiscuous, steal, abuse others…I just didn’t get it. I couldn’t put the pieces together about how someone gets so emotionally escalated or in such a place of temptation that their impulses overpowered their rationality and they fell. Age has taught me the reality, however. Sin is so easy. It’s usually fueled by our fears, our honest desires and our unmet needs. Grace is what’s so hard. Isn’t that what makes it so amazing?
Who Are You Called To?
Serving a vision under a leader you respect, with a team that could actually win, leading people who are driven to improve…it’s the greatest life one could ask for. I don’t want to look back on my life and see what I’ve accomplished…I want to look back on my life and see who was in it. I don’t mean this arrogantly, but I hope I’ve left a trail of bettered lives in my wake.
Quality Questions
I’ve been freed to live a life full of questions. One of the most inspiring quotes I’ve heard in a while is this: It’s not about the complexity of our answers, but the quality of our questions. That’s so beautifully liberating. The pursuit of freedom and truth is the journey and adventure of a lifetime.
There’s Something to Intimacy
I haven’t fully fleshed out this truth in my life yet if I’m honest. But my observation says that there’s something about intimacy that grows us. Intimacy with the Lord is just the beginning to intimacy with others. I want to understand it. In fact, I think there are risks I’m ready to take with the Lord, with others, to find out what it means. It scares the daylights out of me…but I think it’s worth it…
I could keep going…but there’s 10 so I’ll stop for now. I hope in ten years, I have a new edition of these truths to report on.
As an aside, today’s halfway through my birthday month looking for 30 supporters for $30/month for this next year. There are still spaces to fill on that list. I say this because it’s true. I can’t continue this without partners and I want you to be one of them. Thanks all! Here’s to 30!
