Growing Old Is Not for Sissies

Growing old is definitely not for sissies. Recently I packed ten boxes of books with my left hand. I'd just had surgery on my right hand, and the doctor wouldn't let me use it for two weeks.So, of course, I used my left hand for everything.Not the wisest decision I've ever made.The knuckles and muscles in that hand staged a revolt, and I'm still paying the price.

The older you get, the more you realize that "old" has side effects

The days zip by. You're celebrating Easter when you just had Christmas last week. (Or so it seems.)

• Dreams get put on the shelf while you deal with everyday life.
• Adult children move home or your mom and dad need care.
• You live through one crisis only to face a new one.
• The adventures you'd planned to be having now are pushed off into the future.
• Important things get sabotaged by busy stuff.
• You see your doctor more often than you see your friends.

You get hints that you're growing old when your hands, back, and brain don't work as they once did.OR when all of the kids leave home and finally start gifting you with grandbabies.OR you retire and wonder what life is suppose to look like now.It's then that you glance in the rearview mirror and wonder where the time went.Wasn't it just yesterday that... ?

Growing old isn't for sissies

It takes guts to face the difficulties you'll encounter as you age, especially if they land in your lap unexpectedly.Your time, energy and strength have new limits, so you have to decide what will get their attention.That isn't easy.Your health is important. So is your family. So is making the bed.AND so is the person you're becoming during this season of life, even in the midst of difficulty or disappointment.This is your time to shine. To sparkle. To live with a determination to finish the race well.Everything you've been through is preparing you for this time and this place ... and for what waits for you in eternity future.All the living you've done up to this point has been your learning space, your practice ground, your boot camp. Refuse to waste it.Don't act like a sissy as you grow old.

Make your "growing old" years count for eternity

As Roy T. Bennett said, "What matters most is to focus on what matters most."Who you are still becoming in Christ matters most.THAT'S the person God wants to spend eternity with.THAT'S the you that family and friends want to hang with.BECAUSE that's the woman God wants to give to your world, even if that world is shrinking.No matter what you encounter as you move forward in years, take what you've learned in life and use it as a spring board to:

• Go deeper in your relationship with Jesus.
• Shower the people God has placed around you with love and grace.
• Laugh more, pray more, and trust more.
• Identify areas where you still need maturity and GO for it!

Let's make these the best years EVER!Write down one way you are going to focus on what matters most. Then do it!Let's grow old with grace and purpose, shall we?(And if you enjoyed this post, read 10 Questions to Ask Yourself In the Autumn of Your Life.)Hugs, Susan