2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
…
I’m getting old.
Despite being fit, mentally capable (?), and possessing an eye for the eternal, I’m getting old.
If the sore muscles, creaking and cracking of joints, brain fog, teenage students, or thirty year old mentees fail to remind me, I’m always reminded of time, or the lack thereof, by the steady stream of mentors I’ve had going home recently.
Just this morning, I lost another one.
At least for a little while.
A mentor who taught me the value of time… by giving up his own.
Conducting a weekly Bible study on the book of John for those in our recovery home.
And did so, well into his eighties.
The disappointment of his moving away from the Delta years ago, dissipated when I discovered, after our family had moved to the coast recently, that he lived right down the road.
After rekindling the friendship with he and his lovely wife Joyce, I spent Saturday mornings visiting with them over his customized coffee (a secretive blend of McCafe and Dunkin’ Donuts) and Joyce’s delicious pastries. Even as his health deteriorated, his hearing failed, and the pain caused him immense discomfort, he related that he wouldn’t trade anything for following Jesus. For mentoring hundreds (if not thousands) over the years. That his body may break down, but his heart would now and forever be rooted in sharing the love of Jesus. Usually through the stories, lessons, and parables housed in the gospel of John (which also happened to be his name).
As I near middle age (or am there already?), I observe that many encounter a mid-life crisis of some sort. They hit the gym, brandish a sports car, woo a younger woman, cosmetically concoct a younger self, portray a false facade on Facebook, drink themselves into oblivion over wasted years or the lack of time left, embark on bucket lists.
While some of these are positive, and some, well, not so much, it has got me to thinking.
Its hard getting old. Difficulties and adversities abound. And we as human beings tend to bristle and buck and balk at such times. At such circumstances.
But what if our perspective, our paradigm shifts. In that we see aging, that we view this growing old, not as a horrific thing.
But that we embrace the adversity.
That we open ourselves to growing in wisdom. That we cherish the act of investing our limited time to others. That we don’t suffer through the nostalgic yearning to go back and cling to a particular moment in the past, but that we press on savoring the present one.
That in some sort of small way, we are laying down our lives like Jesus.
The irony in all this is, is that the more of this I do, the less time I feel like I’m losing. What I mean by this is that time keeps marching on (which is sort of its thing) but its as if I’m getting double the time back.
It goes back, as everything does, to Jesus.
How everything is the opposite of what we think it should be.
You know, the first will be last. And the last first.
Man looks at the outward appearance but GOD looks at the heart.
The foolish things of the world will be used for GOD’s glory.
To live you must die.
I don’t know if any of that makes any sense.
But I’m feeling lighter and younger anyway.
Well, never mind, I just tried to get up…
I understand completely. Well said, Fred.