Musings of a Sojourning Septuagenarian

This song really struck home with me a couple weeks ago and I want to share it. Perhaps you’d like to listen to it first and then read a few thoughts. I hope you’re encouraged.

All of Our Tomorrows

This spinning world by Your own hand
Hurls ever on around the sun
The seasons march at Your command
The old departs, the new year comes
And though celestial is Your gaze
You search and care for all our ways
We offer up to You this day
And all of our tomorrows.

I am approaching my 2nd year as a septuagenarian. WOW! That’s a mouthful! Another year around the sun, means one year farther along in the aging process. What will this year hold? There’s no way of knowing, but I have a hunch it will involve more limitations. Gary used to say “old age isn’t for sissys” and he was twenty years younger than my current age when he said it. Our world “hurls ever on around the sun” and every living thing on it, past, present and future is decaying. I love the changing seasons for the beauty that comes with each one, but they bring decay as well. One thing I love to think about is the fact that God is “intimately acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139. He watches, He cares. My blog is called “I Have Been Young” The whole verse is “I have been young and now I am old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.” Psalm 37:25 For my new readers, I chose this theme because living through so many seasons as a Christian, I have seen God’s loving care up close and personal. Through various intensities and types of trials, He has never forsaken me or left me in the lurch. God has been faithful. Not because of any inherit righteousness in me, but because of the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. He saved me by taking the punishment I deserve and substituting His perfect life for my sins becoming lord of my life. Have these 71 years been without trouble? No. Has the Lord been with me every step of the way? Absolutely.

May zealous youth and cautious age
Determine not the steps we choose
Great Shepherd, guide us through each day
Oh, how we want to follow You
Come Living Way, our way make clear
Let perfect love drive out our fear
Be Thou our vision, now and here
And all of our tomorrows

I love the phrasing, “zealous youth” and “cautious age.” Doesn’t that just say it all? I am definitely in the phase of life that is winding down. I move slower, I have to focus more, I try to be careful not to fall. But I am learning that aging is a good thing too. I may have some challenges to deal with, but that’s nothing new. They are just unique to these years and the Lord has put others in my life who love me and will help when needed. Will challenges increase year by year? Probably, but I have no need to fear the future because my Good Shepherd, my Living Way has got it covered. He is guiding me in the best way…for me.

When winter makes us reminisce
Of warmer days so distant now
Of cherished saints the sun once kissed
Whose beauty passed behind the clouds
Let all our fond and longing tears
Remind us we are pilgrims here
We trust You, Sovereign of our years
With all of our tomorrows

This is the verse that brings the tears. It reminds me of my Gary, husband, father, friend, “cherished saint who the sun once kissed whose beauty passed beyond the clouds.” It’s a great reminder that we are visitors, travelers, on a journey, and this is not our home. I need to be reminded of that. Having loved ones who have gone before to heaven is helping me loosen my grip on the things in this life that seemed so important in the past, and focus on what matters. I was just in a conversation last night about “windows of opportunity” and how to redeem the time while we can, however many tomorrows that includes. My prayer is that I can “SEIZE THE DAY” for God’s glory and keep trusting Him for direction.

Hands to the plow, we’re pressing on
And running hard to win the prize
Empowered by the love of God
With grace before and grace behind
For lo, what hope before us stands
You finish all that You began
Eternal joy is in Your hands
And all of our tomorrows

Words and music by Dave Fournier and Ryan Foglesong © 2020 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP, Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI (adm. by Integrity Music). Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved. CCLI # 7167554

“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8

Watercolor Journal: Older is the New Younger

“What’s the hardest thing about aging?”  The question caught me off guard. 

My response: “Hmmm…no one’s asked me that before.  I’ll have to think about it.”

The context was a discussion with a young woman about how to help some older folks in our church, but I am aging too so my answer to her came from my own experiences.  I’m a 67 year old widow, living in a senior community, with more years behind me than in front of me.  Though I wouldn’t think of myself as a gerontology expert, I do fit the mold, so here goes.   

If I had to roll up aging difficulties into one word it would be LOSS. 

If we live long enough, we will lose health, hearing, vision, joint flexibility, sleep and the ability to bounce back quickly.  I’m unable to help in the ways I used to.  I’ve already noticed the parent/child roles reversing, as my kids have begun looking out for me more.  More than likely, I will progressively lose independence, when multitasking becomes more difficult, sharp memories fade, and at some point, I may need to surrender my driver’s license.  I would suggest the most difficult loss during these years would be having to say goodbye to people.  Five years ago, I lost my husband and my parents.  Since then I’ve been to multiple funerals of friends in my peer group. I’m losing time too.  There are not enough hours or days left to complete every travel dream or finish special projects.  These days there’s a lot of talk about “making memories.”  I hope I don’t lose them too, but I might.  There are plenty of threats to long term memories accompanying old age. 

BUT!  HOLD ON! 

Losses are real, but aging comes with HUGE gains! 

God promises in Psalm 92 that “The righteous man (the one who has put his faith in Christ) will flourish like a palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (v.12)  Did you know that Cedrus libani grows to 130 feet with an 8 foot diameter trunk?  It lives on rocky hillsides, and exudes strength.

How does a believer grow strong over the years? How do his roots go down deep into the rocks so he can flourish and grow?  Being “Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” (v.13)  In order to thrive we must stay close to the Lord, dwelling with Him, hanging on tight to Him and enjoying His qualities of faithfulness, love, justice and strength and more.  He did the planting, we stay close and believe what He says in His word.

Consider this…

“If we ever really grow in the courts of the Lord’s house we must be planted there, for no tree grows in God’s garden self-sown; once planted of the Lord, we shall never be rooted up, but in his courts we shall take root downward, and bring forth fruit upward to his glory forever.” C. H. Spurgeon

Once planted, there’s fruit to be born but it’s the mature fruit tree that bears the fruit.  “They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green,” (v.14) When my husband was sick with dementia, and his body and mind were failing it was a tremendous comfort to know that his inner soul, who he was, the real Gary, was being renewed every day.  This is true.  Do you believe it?  If you are a believer, God, who saved you, has promised that He will continue His work in both of us until the day of promise.  In those discouraging moments, when I am not able to crouch down and paint the baseboards, or remember someone’s name, or drive long distances after dark, I MUST take God at His word.  There are years behind me of experiences when I was given opportunity to trust Him and flex joyfully with His will. I have seen His good hand at work in my life, leading and guiding, and He has proven He is trustworthy.  He keeps his promises just like this one “…though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”  2 Cor. 4:16

Over the last year, I’ve been able to spend time in ministry with other widows who are older than me.  I’ve observed these senior saints dealing with difficulties surrounding the Covid issues with trusting acceptance and flexibility.  I long to follow their example.

Spurgeon says it better than I can…

“Aged believers possess a ripe experience, and by their mellow tempers and sweet testimonies they feed many.  Even if bedridden, they bear the fruit of patience; if poor and obscure, their lowly and contented spirit becomes the admiration of those who know how to appreciate modest worth.  Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble; the promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; the bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders fail; and the voice of the Spirit in the soul is still melodious when the daughters of music are brought low.  Blessed be the Lord for this!  Because even to hoar hairs he is the I AM, who made his people, he therefore bears and carries them.”  C. H. Spurgeon

My prayer and purpose especially in these later years is “to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”(v.15)  Why wouldn’t I be peaceful with His goodness nourishing my roots every day until He calls me home?    

“Every aged Christian is a letter of commendation to the immutable fidelity of Jehovah.”  C. H. Spurgeon

The gains of the elderly in Christ far outweigh the losses.  Praise God for that!

Cedars of Lebanon painting inspired by Psalm 92:12-15

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.”