Turning 70 about three months ago, I realize that I am most likely in the last 10-20 years of my life.

Being older can lead one to think about life with Joy, Melancholy, Regret or any of several emotions.

One can look with a dimming view toward the end of life or live in the past thinking of “glory days”.

I just watched, again, an episode of THE CHOSEN, in which Jesus visits the wedding in Cana and near the end of the evening performs what we are told is his first public miracle.

He turned water into wine.

It was not just any wine….

It was the best wine of the evening.

The story has more than one attendee knowing that a host always serves the best wine first, then when the guests have their senses a bit dulled, the lesser wine is served and no one can tell the difference.

At this feast, all of the wine was gone.

His mother asked and pleaded with Him to bless the occasion with what she knew He could do.

Jesus had the servers fill the vessels with water and then……He made it into a new and perfect wine.

The feast was enlivened and the guests were blest and surprised because the best wine was served late in the evening.

My younger life had many highlights and some evidence of “good wine”. But, I do not want to serve effort, now, that would be less than “the good stuff” because those around me have their sense of me “dulled” because of earlier or better effort.

Now, in my life…..in this later stage…

I am asking and expecting from that same Winemaker to receive the best wine into this vessel.

The wine that enlivens, the wine which positively surprises the attendees, which gives added life to the occasion, and which glorifies the Maker.

I choose to be filled with the best wine which comes from the hand of the Dresser of the Vine.

With this, I want not to go slowly into the night of life….but to be fully exercised in the mid-day warmth of the shining sun…

better than that….

the shining and illuminating brightness of The Son.

With this, I ask for and aim to be filled with this new, best wine and have my life be enlivened, enriched and emboldened, to move at a full pace through each and every one of my days….revealing the Blessing, Richness and Glory of The One who has, is and will continue to fill me.