Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day. 2 Cor. 4:16 NIV
Every morning as I awake, I am reminded of the faithfulness of God and every evening I am encouraged by my body to respect the necessity of rest and recovery if I am to contribute tomorrow.
Aging is both a reminder of our mortality and a confirmation of eternal life. The longer I spend in this body the more familiar I am with its antics, and the more aware I become of my spirit, the reality of who I am. The unredeemed reader will struggle with the remainder of this journal entry, for until one has been made alive in Christ, The I Am, he or she cannot truly know that we are more than flesh. However, if I allow the intellectual deficit of others to limit my ability to share truth, then I am less than honest with my own knowledge, less loving and more prideful and political than I might need be.
Every morning, I am reminded of my need for refreshing the spirit. It would seem that nightly retirement replenishes the organs of this flesh and affords some clearing of the mind. Yet just as hunger is present in the a.m. due to the chemistry that drives my physical being, so is the longing of my soul, desiring anew, spiritual conversation with the One who has redeemed me.
Oh God thou art my God, early will I seek thee. (Ps. 63:1 KJV) This seems to be something that man has known for centuries; in fact nature also, for even as I write, the birds are now awakening, the outdoors coming alive as the Son (sic) shouts a new day! When I was younger, I may not have even stopped to listen to the birds unless reminded by an elder?
The joy of aging is the learning that can occur as one explores the inner sanctum of the soul. If a frugal lifestyle or favored prosperity has been the lot, one may at last find the liberty to take the necessary time from the hustle needed for income production, to explore the inner regions of mind, body and spirit. As well, one becomes less concerned with being right, being respected or even accepted. Institutions that could have once been employed to leverage the populace for individual advancement have become less meaningful, though still necessary to frame boundaries among those resisting redemption.
Renewed daily, what a privilege salvation brings. When panic occurs, due to physical limitations or the risk of failed performance in environments one before had felt competitive, the soul finds retreat and recovery in the inner sanctuary of faith. In fact, a sense of spiritual empowerment is present with age; not only the ability to employ the great healing virtues built into the physical, but if character has been rightfully developed, a power to calm ones spirit when the primitive response of the mind to fear, flee or fight seeks to overrule.
Life is good for the elder!