We Got Old!

By Barbara Chadwick



We got old while we weren’t paying attention! All of a sudden our children want to take care of us.

Reality sets in when you look in the mirror and say, “Who is that woman with those canyons running down her face?!” or “Whose hands are those, with age spots and wrinkles?!” or “Those Ritis boys are bothering me again.” – you know - Arthur Ritis. Corny right? But I’ve learned that it’s true that old age is not for sissies!

I saw a woman on Good Morning America this morning who was celebrating her birthday. When they asked her which one she said, "It's my 60th and I'm proud of it!"  She was facing reality with a smile.

C.S. Lewis said, “Our job is to learn what reality is, then learn to like it.”  Well, most of the time these days I don’t really like reality!

We do learn to deal with the realities in everyday life. Somehow we cope and grow.

Learning to deal with God’s realities is another area of growth. When we accept God’s reality, we bend our will to His. We listen for His voice and want to do the things that please Him.

Sometimes though, thoughts come into our brains without invitation – thoughts that depress or anger us. Paul tells the Corinthians to, …take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5b

Also, Paul tells the Philippians, …brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

There is excellence in maturity. Just look at fruit. Who wants a green apple? Or strawberry for that matter! You want a beautiful ripe fruit. With maturity you are ripe (and beautiful I might add). You’ve already “been there, done that”. Experience/maturity helps with the coping of everyday life. Experience also helps in following God’s reality for our lives. We can look back and see some of the missteps we’ve made along the way and can more easily sidestep toward a more heavenly way.

However, there is always a danger with our brain! It sometimes wants to go somewhere we’ve determined not to go or dwell on thoughts that are not excellent or worthy of praise. One woman said, “I tend to follow the Lord through my brain, but tend to sin through my mouth!” It’s true. At times it seems as if we have no control. Remember when Paul was talking about our conflict with the two natures within us? For that which I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do but I am doing the very thing I hate… Romans 7:15

But look in verse 25 of chapter 7: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ! And in 8:1-2 There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

So let us, take every thought captive - even those corny ones that make us dwell on ourselves and let us dwell on God’s reality – things that are pure, excellent and praiseworthy.