By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Happy New Year! We have heard that phrase numerous times over the past few days and probably will continue to hear it in the coming days.
There’s something about the idea of a new year that can be both exciting and perhaps a bit frightening. If 2017 was a great year for you, you probably hope it continues in 2018. If 2017 was not a particularly good year, 2018 offers hope that things might improve.
The year 2018 will bring a couple of milestones for me personally (assuming the Lord allows me to live). I will turn 60 years old and will celebrate my 30th year with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and the Baptist and Reflector. In addition, I will celebrate my 20th year as editor of the paper.
The thought of turning 60 on Feb 10 doesn’t make me feel “old” or even “over the hill.” Even with the aches and pains that come with old age, I still wake up excited that God has blessed me with another day to live and hopefully to serve Him to the best of my ability.
Lonnie Wilkey
As for my tenure with the TBMB and the B&R, it’s another blessing that God has given me. There’s a Disney movie that came out 20 years or so ago titled “The Rookie,” a movie based on the true-life story of a baseball player who pursued his dream of playing professional baseball. In the movie he says to a teammate, “Do you know what we get to do today? We get to play baseball.”
Every day God gives me an opportunity to use the writing abilities He gave me to help tell His stories. What more could I want?
With age has come the realization more than ever that we can’t take the days God gives us for granted. The Bible makes it clear that our days on this earth are numbered. We can’t dwell on that. What we can do is to make the best use of every day God gives us.
In 2018, don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. What’s more, don’t take each day for granted. Use it for His glory. Happy New Year!
