A Blessing for Aging ... Trusting and Flourishing

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
Psalm 92:12-15 NIV

Aging is hard. When we are young, aged people are often “invisible.” Life is so busy for parents of growing families, adults who are building careers, even middle aged people who are young enough to travel and serve. They all have “big, busy lives.”

Some of my sisters in the lord in My Tues Zoom group — “we are praying and walking each other home.”

As we get older, our lives can get smaller. Our capacity shrinks and much of our time, attention, and energies are absorbed by health issues. Life gets hard and can feel hopeless.

But did you notice God’s promise/blessing in Psalm 92? God has blessed us aging ones with inner persons that are thriving, flourishing, becoming more and more stable and fruitful as we trust Him in our aging.

more zoom sisters but not all — praying and walking each other home

Another Scripture I love and count on is 2 Corinthians, chapter 4:

… we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My “ zoom sister” Peggy (91 y.o.)— we finally met in person this year after about 5 years of friendship online.

When I turned 70, I reflected on my desires for these older years of my life, as many as the Lord has for me.

First of all, I want to be content in the Lord, no matter how limiting my life becomes. I can imagine how hard it will be when I can no longer be a "mover & a shaker" in life, when I can no longer drive, maybe even no longer walk or no longer think straight...that would be hard!

Lord, make me content in YOU and who I am to you...your loved one! (Phil 4:11-13)

Next, I don't want to be a complainer, a "drama queen." When folks' lives get small, everything can become a major "tragedy." I don't want to make my kids' lives miserable by my ungodly expectation that they keep me OK.

Lord, give me a "big life" even when it's small. May it be "big" because I see my "as is" life as serving your eternal purpose in my generation. (Acts 13:36)

Then of course, I want to love and be loved. I want to love with the Love Who is God loving in and through me ... my family, my friends, my "enemies," and even "strangers" God brings into my life. And I want to receive the love that comes my way, knowing that it's all gift ... and my graciously receiving is a gift back to the giver and to the Ultimate Giver.

Lover of my Soul, give me your eyes to see the people around me whom You want to love through me. And then let me recognize and receive the love that comes my way from You through others. I release any expectations I have. You are my Source, and I receive all from You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Photos of visits with “OLD FRIENDS” (some we haven’t seen for 40+ years) during our current 6 week car trip…followed by a beloved “old” hymn — GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS:

A Branch in the Vine

A Blessing for Aging ... Trusting and Flourishing

A Branch In the Vine