Healing Rays of Righteousness

Last week I said that I believe “aging” is God’s gift to us, and that I agree with the person who said, “Aging is not an enemy to be conquered, but a friend to be cultivated.”  I believe such belief greatly enhances the positive attitude called acceptance, which is so critical in our efforts to “age well.”

To accept the fact that we are going to die is so basic to both our living well and aging well.  Until we break down that wall of denial, we will not be motivated to follow through on any of the other much needed attitudes and end-of-life preparations.

Whether we choose to believe it or not, our relationship with death and our attitude about our own dying, significantly affects the way we live every day.  What I do and the decisions I make are often determined by my acceptance or denial of the fact that I am growing older and will someday die.

I agree with those counselors who say that we cannot truly live until we have accepted the fact that one day we will die.  The Psalmist prays, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” (39:4). And again, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (90:12).

Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “…of all the things to be counted, this is the hardest – to number our days.  We number everything else so easily.  We know how much money we have in our purse and how many dollars in the bank.  Farmers number their sheep and cattle.  Restaurants number the meals served in a week.  Teachers check off attendance records.  Gardeners can tell you how many tomato plants are in the backyard.                                                            Yet we find it hard to number something so precious as our days.  Perhaps that’s because we see our days stretching on and on.  They seem infinite and so there is no need, we think,  to number them.  Things we fail to account for, we waste.  That’s why it is wise to ask God to teach us to consider each day separate from the next, distinct in its purpose, unique in the way it is to be lived.”  (“Diamonds in the Dust”- 1993, Devotional for September 14).

Abram Schmitt writes, “I have a haunting notion that too many people live on too shallow a level.  They miss the real joy of living.  There is a depth of meaning to life that eludes them.  If only people would permit themselves to face their limited life span, they would be forced to make the most of every moment.  …There is no escape from death, but in this modern era people do all they can to avoid death, to delay it, and to evade all thoughts and conversations about it.”

Growing older means experiencing many LOSSES.  And each loss is a small death, a “goodbye” to what was.  Growing older means saying “goodbye” to the world of work, health, spouse, friends, freedoms (driving, walking), and to control of activities.  And with each of these losses there comes the accompanying FEARS.

Aging well requires a frequent looking at ourselves and asking some very basic questions;  What is of value, important, and worthwhile to me, and what is not?  Am I becoming more caring or more callous, more forgiving or more vengeful, more tolerant or more critical, more generous or more self-centered?  Am I growing in my Christian faith and behavior, becoming a more mature, well-rounded person, or am I becoming more selfish and childish.

And of supreme importance to aging well is to have an attitude of gratitude – that is, being thankful.  A grateful attitude causes our life to open up like a flower, full of beauty and sweet fragrance. It causes our life to be filled with joy and pleasant surprises because we see God blessing us in so many ways.  King Solomon says that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  (Proverbs 17:22)

Every pain has the potential for gratitude or resentment.  Every problem provides an opportunity for stronger faith and new relationships or frustration and despair.  The need for surgery can make us dread the pain or thank God for the surgeon’s skills.  Stormy weather can create dreary complaints or gratitude for the sunny days.  The death of a spouse can produce a terror of the future or a song of thanksgiving for memories of ten thousand shared joys.

A grateful heart discovers blessings in what the discontented, resentful heart overlooks.  It is amazing what happens in our life when we cultivate the habit of always saying “Thank you” to others and to God in every situation we may find ourselves.

“Rejoice always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 30, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley