Aging is both a blessing and a barrier. (I confess to a different “b” word when I first had this thought, but for this means of communication, I’ll go with “barrier.”) Having reached the biblical standard of “three score and ten” (Psalm 90:10, KJV) I feel qualified to comment on this subject. One blessing of aging is the obvious additional years that God has purposely given. Obviously, God is not finished if we are still here. Additional years allow for ministries that, for whatever reason, we didn’t perform earlier. My mother is a good example. Homebound the last twelve years of her life, she developed a rather extensive prayer ministry. In her pre-Internet, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter world, she used her telephone to call through the church directory repeatedly to see what matters she could include in her prayer for that day, often singing a hymn or chorus to the person on the other end of the line. The barrier created by aging is likewise obvious – physical, emotional, mental, limitations. An unnamed friend is a good example. He pouts about everything. “If it works, it hurts!” he exclaims. “This young generation . . .” and he continues with a list of complaints about youth. As one who now attends more funerals than weddings, I want my aging years to be a blessing, not a barrier. How about you? Comments are appropriate and welcome.
Comments