Chicago, 2010

I Just Keep Turning Numbers

b-day blurA couple weeks back we celebrated Elijah’s Fourth Birthday.  It was an EPIC week.  The closest thing to Mardi Gras a Four Year Old will ever know. In between Family Dinner, A Rockin’ Birthday Bash, and a weekend viewing of Star Wars Episodes IV-VI, Elijah had this profound pearl to offer us- “Well guys, I guess I’m just gonna keep turning numbers.”

He’s right.  As much as it breaks our hearts, our little guy is gonna keep turning numbers…and there’s nothing we can do to stop that…believe us, we’ve tried.

All of us Keep Turning Numbers every year, every day, since the day you were born.  But here’s the crazy thing –  just because you’re turning numbers does not mean that you are GROWING. Everyone Turns Numbers, But Not Everyone Grows.  In other words – Just because you’re Older, that doesn’t mean that you’re getting any Better.

This lies in great tension with not only what Jesus Promised (Life to the Fullest) but with what Jesus Expects (Grow and Bear Fruit).  How is it that we can go year after year and still be as selfish / as angry / as bitter / as addicted / as insecure as we were the year(s) before?  Especially for those who know and follow Jesus?  Does it seem like something might be off?

What if we worked as hard for our GROWTH as we do to our attempts to stay young?  What would it look like to ask God to give you Growth Goals for your life this Year?  This Month?  What if Growth is what WE actually lovingly held each other to each year?  What if our questions were no longer If We Grew, but rather How We Grew.  Imagine what you’d have to actually celebrate at your Birthday?  Imagine how you might approach this next year.

Imagine your life Growing, as opposed to just turning numbers.

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  1. Mary

    Make sure you have specific goal in mind. Ask God to help you with the change. Have an accountability partner. Practice going in a new direction with your life, step by step. Reward self , perhaps with a chocolate cake when goal is reached! And do share with others so they might buy the cake for you! Ha!

    Oct 29, 2009 @ 7:46 pm


  2. Tweets that mention I Just Keep Turning Numbers – Soul City Blog -- Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by jarrettstevens, Soul City Church. Soul City Church said: Are you Actually Growing…or just turning numbers… http://cli.gs/P2RVN [...]

    Oct 30, 2009 @ 11:00 am


  3. uberVU - social comments

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by jarrettstevens: New SoulCityBlog: I Just Keep Turning Numbers http://cli.gs/P2RVN...

    Oct 30, 2009 @ 12:32 pm

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