Sep
26
2023
A Life Well Lived
Posted in Daily Living 10 Comments
People think about getting older.
Some struggle with the number of the age itself.
Some look back and see unfulfilled dreams.
Some look forward and wonder if the best years are behind them.
A woman often doesn’t realize advancing age is happening.
She’s busy raising her children.
She’s busy marking their milestones.
She’s busy.
Then one day, there is more gray than there was before.
Lines are a bit more evident around her eyes.
Her body is a bit squishier and rounder in the middle.
Her knees and joints creak audibly.
She can fret over the changes or she can embrace them.
The lines on her face show where the smiles have been.
The squishy-ness only makes her that much more cuddly.
The creaking knees and joints are a bit of morning music.
Age is a matter of perspective.
With advancing age comes wisdom.
With more years under your belt, there is a wealth of knowledge.
More years of living means more experiences and memories.
Getting older is a fact of life.
Life goes by at the same rate of sixty seconds every minute..
Life is a gift.
A life well lived is a thank you to God the Father for His abundant blessings.
A life well lived does not mean financial success.
A life well lived does not mean problem free.
A life well lived does not mean the acquisition of things.
A life well lived is contentment and joy in the life you have been given.
That kind of contentment cannot be manufactured on your own.
That kind of joy is from the Lord.
That joy and contentment is a choice we make every day.
That choice can only be made by the grace of God.
There was an older man I remember fondly from a previous church.
Whenever I asked him how he was doing, he answered the same way every time.
Better than I deserve, he always said.
He is with the Lord now, but his joy and contentment was palpable.
Better than I deserve.
No mention of wrinkles, or gray, or squishy-ness, or morning creaks.
Just thankfulness for every day.
A life well lived.
I remember when one of my daughters went to Africa during college.
She was studying to be a teacher and served in a school there for a time.
When she talked about her time there, she was struck by one thing.
Mom, they have nothing but they are so joyful; they are so thankful.
When asked to explain, she went on.
They thank God for two strong legs to stand on.
They thank God for the sun that is shining.
They thank God for the food they have in their cupboard, but Mom, they have none!
By their example, my daughter learned about being thankful.
My daughter saw contentment, though by western standards, they had nothing.
My daughter saw that the people looked for things for which to be thankful.
It changed her perspective.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:1-10)
God is in the habit of saving the best till now.
A well lived life recognizes that, and looks back with gratitude and forward with anticipation.
Each age we are is the best age because we are here by God’s design.
He has numbered our days and we live them fully for Him.
I found a poem I wrote a few years ago.
I must have been thinking about some of this even then.
I want to embrace every age I have been and every age I will be.
Life is a gift and we live it in gratitude to our Heavenly Father.
She looks in the mirror and sees a face she doesn’t recognize.
Is the girl who played Double Dutch with such vigor still there?
She looks at the face that returns her gaze.
Is it you?
The twinkle in the eyes that look back at her gives it away.
It is you!
Every line around her eyes tells a story.
Every crevice near her mouth speak of years of laughter.
Hello, friend! They both say together.
They touch hands through the glass.
I really enjoyed your poetry. It ‘mirrors’ my feelings. Yesterday I was getting ready to go out and when applying makeup noticed all the lines around my lips that I hadn’t noticed previously. I went to my doctors and we discussed ways to address my creaks and crackles. I also saw a friend and noticed she had more gray hair. We laughed and agreed we would would take the wisdom of aging over the deteriorating flesh and bones! Yes, God is good!
Amen, Nancy!
Treasuring Inward beauty even though the outward beauty is changing.
Our inward beauty is lasting and looks more like Him.
Gina
Hi
Ever so sweet, a fine perspective of a life with the presence of God within it.
I will treasure this and read it again and again if I have a down time in my life.
Rejoice in each day and each breath we breath.
Live each day knowing God walks in this day with us.
Thanks Gina
Pat,
I’m glad you were blessed.
I still think of the man from my former church when asked how he was doing.
“Better than I deserve.”
I have never forgotten his words and his outlook on life.
Gina
I will be thankful for every day I get out of bed on my own two feet!
Amen, Helen.
The little things really are the big things!
Gina
You spoke right where my heart has been recently. God is so good. Thank you.
Michelle,
Yes. God is good. Kindred spirits, you and I.
Gina
What a beautiful message…I will think of it and smile when I wake up up and hear my “morning music” Thank you Gina♥️
Sherie,
I will smile along with you, friend.
Gina