133. GROW OLDER FULL OF GRACE. Proverbs 10:27.

Does the thought of ageing make you anxious? If so this is for you, from one who has been there, done that and picked up a few clues on the way. I was and still am reasonably healthy, and still the years keep falling away with constant regularity, producing a few more wrinkles, requiring more time to do simple chores, and more rest periods. Not being one to accept the inevitable gracefully, I decided all this needed addressing. So I decided to re-examine my value system. To me this meant talking to God about it. We all know that with Him the contents are more important than the package. And in order to make peace with our increasing wrinkles, time-costly chores and prolonged rest periods, we must first come in to agreement with God. Ultimately Da! I woke up,! and I believe God put in my heart, that “it’s not the number of days in our lives that count but the quality of life in our days that matter” I pondered this for a while and came up with the following:-- Jesus’ first miracle was turning water in to wine. Note what the Host of the wedding reception said (John 2:10) “Everyone brings out the choice wine first...but you have saved the best till now” And that can be the story of yours and my life too. We don’t have to suffer from “Gerascophobia”, the fear of ageing. Keep fighting, keep growing, keep moving forward. Read the words of Caleb “For my part, I wholeheartedly followed The Lord my God. Moses solemnly promised me, the land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendents forever… Now as you can see,The Lord has kept me alive and well as He promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise - even while Israel wondered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the Hill Country that The Lord promised me.” And in (Joshua 14:-13) we read “Joshua blessed Caleb… and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land “ That’s called growing older under God’s grace. Your portion of grace is there, God promised it to you, find it, claim it and use it; and forget about the wrinkles, chores etc. You are heading for a new season. He’s kept the best wine for last. GREAT. By the year2030, one in five of us will be seventy years of age or older, that’s about 20 per cent of the worlds population. Millions of us will live to be100 or more. When asked at his Birthday party how he felt about turning 80, President Dwight D Eisenhower replied, “It sure does beat the alternative.”!!! Anita Bogan died in 2007 at the ripe old age of 106. Her Obituary in the Los Angeles times read “Blessed with good health and a sound mind, Anita spent most of her old age doing what she wanted to do, with a feisty, “What’s age got-to-do-with it” attitude. In the decades following her 80th year, she created a non-profit foundation to build senior housing...Opened a flower shop...played golf daily… took cruses to celebrate her birthdays and inspired many people. On her 100th Birthday The Kern County Board declared an “Anita Bogan Day” By her attitude to life Anita changed the way people around her viewed their attitude to ageing. In (Proverbs 3:1-2) The Bible doesn’t just promise long life, it promises quality life. “My Son do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” And in (Proverbs 9:10-11) we read “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” The secret of enjoying the process of an ageing life is to build and develop a close relationship with God and live according to His principles. This is not difficult if you keep your Bible handy, it has the answer to all your questions. The tent has to go, and the Soul must appear before God, So we count old age as the blessing it is intended to be thanking God for giving us the extra time to know Him more clearly, follow Him more closely and love Him more dearly. It’s then that the anxiety of approaching senior years and yes, even death will fade. I am not saying it will be a bed of roses, and even if it is for some of us, it’s worth keeping in mind ... roses have thorns. so tread carefully, by preparing and catering for your impending losses at least some of which You will have to accept and deal with, eg. lack of:- strength, Sight, hearing, taste, smell, memory etc. But you will never loose your ability to love and be loved and the more you use and cultivate these virtues and attributes the more help will come your way. You see, there are two ways to handle this inevitable stage in life, we can get bitter, twisted and resentful, or we can handle it God’s way. Which is much more acceptable to you and those around you. It takes a bit of humility, But the end result is worth it. And people love you more for it. Thank you for reading these few words on “Ageing Gracefully” We are nearly there and the strong, loving open arms of Our God and Father are waiting for us God bless. Phaline. ------------------------------------