growing old

Proverbs 20:²⁹ The glory of the young is their strength;
the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

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There is a self that lives inside the house of the body. That self wants to think it never changes...never grows old...will always be around. But there is a body wrapped around that self that is definitely growing older. Aging happens in a gradual way and we are surprised at its effects. Our vision, our hearing, our digistive systems, our joints...all tell us that just as we moved through youth and strength, so we are now moving into a slower paced chapter, with bends and twists that are not always pleasant. But, this morning it occurred to me that there is great purpose in a declining physical body. It encourages us to trust more completely in our Maker. When we were young and strong we forgot Him at times because we didn't think we needed Him, in our strength. Now that we are past the peak of that vitality it is clear that this physical body will eventually be cast off. We are getting weaker in a physical sense but we have the potential to grow ever stronger in a spiritual sense. We have become convinced that this earthly life is not where our ultimate will be found. And, knowing that, makes all the difference as we bow before God and seek to let Him rule through us and truly be our strength. We are growing old...but we are growing stronger even as we are growing weaker.

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blessings,

Rob Smith