37

37...not a threatening number, right?  

According to Wikipedia, the following things are related to such a harmless number:

*The number of plays William Shakespeare is thought to have written (counting Henry IV as three parts).

*37 is the only two digit number in base 10 whose product, when multiplied by two, subtracted by one, and then read backwards, equals the original two digit number: 37×2=74, 74-1=73, 73 backwards is 37.

*The normal human body temperature in degrees Celsius.

Harmless, right?  But, tonight, as I'm on the cusp of turning that number, it is causing me to reflect...

This week I prayed with a dying woman...celebrated the joy of the birth of a family friend's baby...mourned the death of a dear friend's grandmother...and celebrated the birthdays of my sister, two of my nephews, my brother and soon my sister-in-law's birthday.  Kinda a lot to digest.

The greatest conclusion I came to tonight:  It is unfair to measure a person's life by the number of years they have lived.

How can you tell a dying woman that her 94 years were nothing more than a accumulation of numbers?  What about the thousands of prayers she has said in her lifetime?  The horrible grief she endured after losing her husband was just because of the amount of birthdays he had celebrated just got to be too many?

Would I tell a new mom that since her child has not accumulated a full year its life doesn't quite "count" yet?  

So why do we measure our time on earth in years?  Is that the measure of a man?  I can't believe that it is.

I choose to believe that my life can be measured by:

*the th0usands upon thousands of hugs I've received from all of my nephews over their lifetimes;
*the uncountable words of wisdom my parents have given me;
*the millions of laughs I have shared with my family and friends;
*the different places that I've lived and traveled;
*the baked goods I've created for others enjoyment (as well as my own!);
*and the love of an amazing Lord-the miracles I've seen, the prayers I've prayed, the lessons I've learned.

So, as this number 37 looms in just under an hour, I'm going to do my best to embrace it and remember that the measure of man is what is on the inside.  And, yeah, I'm good with that.


Measure Of A Man (4 Him) :

This world can analyze and size you up
And throw you on the scales
They can IQ you and run you through
Their rigorous details
They can do their best to rate
And they'll place you on their charts
And then back it up with scientific smarts

But there's more to what you're worth
Than what their human eyes can see

CHORUS
Oh I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand
How wealthy or intelligent you are
'Cause I found out the measure of a man
God knows and understand
For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man

Well you can doubt your worth
And search for who you are and where you stand
But God made you in His image
When He formed you in His hands
And He looks at you with mercy
And He sees you through His love
You're His child and that will always be enough

For there's more to what your worth
Than you could ever comprehend

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE
You can spend your life pursuing physical perfection
But there's so much more than ever meets the eye
For God looks through the surface
And he defines your worth by what is on the inside.

Seasons of Love (From Rent): 

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets In midnights, in cups of coffee In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure, a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love
Seasons of love Seasons of love
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned Or in times that he cried In bridges he burned Or the way that she died
It's time now, to sing out Though the story never ends Let's celebrate Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love (Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love) Remember the love (You know that life is a gift from up above) Remember the love (Share love, give love, spread love) Measure in love (Measure, measure your life in love)
Seasons of love Seasons of love (Measure your life, measure you life in love)