After the Lisi's scare, Ben's cancer, Sandi's loss of her sister, our own grand daughters scare with her lymph node surgery. All these things are a sobering reminder or how precious life and family are.
Some time ago two of my windows were broken out at the place of my business. As I looked at it, the first thought was that it might be a couple of eighty year old women fooling around. Just kidding. Actually I figured a couple of kids were feeling their adolescent hormones. Why didn't I figure it was a couple of old ladies? Because usually we fall into well worn grooves of behavior, that many have traveled before. If something is vandalized it probably kids. If there is a car driving too slow in the fast lane, in a '81 Chrysler, it's an old person.
Most young people act as if they are invincible; they ignore old people, but they can't wait for the next sign of maturity; like being tall enough to ride the roller coaster; getting a drivers license; old enough to date; old enough to drink alcohol. They're all in great a rush to get to those prime years where they are independent and can find life's adventures on their own. When I was young I could take a hundred pounds weight and 'snatch' it over my head with one arm; I could swim against a rip tide all day and never tire; I could run full speed across a jetty of boulders and not miss a step. But now.....I need to have a girl help me get something off the top shelf at Wal-Mart! If I trip and fall, it takes me three days to recover. And if I need to lift something I have to wait for my son to come around.
Now that I've lived about two-thirds of my life, I'm more and more contemplating what is truly valuable in life. Someone said, "nothing matters but relationships". Now that I'm older, I'm convinced this is true, and everything else is just frosting. The Westminster Catechism says that "the chief end for man is to glorify God..." I believe God is glorified when we play ball or fish with our kids; when we kiss our mothers; when we listen to an old neighbor's complaints. God is especially glorified when we show our appreciation for the wonderful things he has done for us - including the families he's blessed us with.
So far I don't really mind getting old. When I was a child and I looked forward to getting older I saw it as a great opportunity, and it was, but now I see old age as a wonderful mercy. What if we lived unceasingly in youthful self indulgence? There is nothing like the realities of old age to align a man's priorities, and to force him to think about, not only eternity, but also those whom God has given us. I thank God for my wife and kids, and the brothers and sisters and their kids too. I am really blessed!
2 comments:
Reflection is always interesting, and scary. When it comes down to it, you’re right, family is the most important thing to us. It’s something that we cannot divest ourselves from in spite of how hard we try. We are family, for better or worse. But, who we are, is, I believe, even deeper than family. They can have an influence on the very essence of who we are and who we are to become. As we learn from others, and others learn from us, I believe that we indeed come closer to glorifying God. It’s hard to believe that we can make enough progress in one lifetime to be part of Him. So, I don’t. I think that we are souls having a human experience.
In reflecting it’s easier to really see larger picture than our own microcosm. The realization in getting more experienced is that there is so much more to learn and the sad fact that maybe a person doesn’t learn everything the first time. In effect, a larger dependence on God since we can’t see the future any farther than what is directly in front of us. So, I think that it’s important to do the best I can every day as if it were my last.
Jim
Amen. The good thing about God's plan is that we don't have to arrive. Unlike reincarnation, which implies there is no reward without attainment, God is more concerned with the relative condition of our heart. The thief on the cross next to Christ, obtained paradise, simply because he reccognized God's mercy in the person of Jesus. Had he lived, he still, like us, never would have attained. I really like the verse in Ecclesiastes: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." So, attainment is not the issue, just obedience to our loving Father.
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