JanBeek

Staying Young

Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.

Notice I did not say, “Growing OLD.”
Growing OLDER is not the same as growing old.
I’m not OLD; at 82, I am simply
in my advanced years –
growing in wisdom and grace –
with God’s blessings!

In the Natural Living newsletter,
Dr. Z and Mama Z write the following:

“God will carry us through,
even into our advanced years.
Our Creator has had a plan for us
since before we were born.
He had our days numbered
since the beginning of time
and it is up to us to make wise decisions
to help our bodies
live a more vibrant and full life
and to impart our wisdom
to those placed in our lives.”

“Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.”

~ Job 32:7

I DO think about things differently… especially THINGS.
Yes, I have my “treasures,” – those things I am reluctant to part with –
but as time goes by, I realize the wisdom of knowing
“I can’t take it with me.”
And God don’t allow no U-Hauls in Heaven!!

In my daily devotions today,
Charles Stanley wrote in his In Touch entry,
“Our culture is obsessed with youth…
But… Unless death intervenes, growing old is inevitable.”

See that’s where I differ with him.
But it is only a matter of semantics, I’m sure.
He must have meant “growing older.”
Because he went on to say,
“We can be young in soul and spirit,
regardless of our chronological age.”

Magnificence comes with age…
Yes, the root word is “magnify”
and that’s what age does for us.
It magnifies our failures (if we let it) –
It magnifies our faults (if we let it) –
It requires magnification to see clearly!

The question we need to ask ourselves is,
“What am I magnifying as I age?”

Charles Stanley’s devotional today reminded us,
“Never stop listening to the Father
and learning from His Word.
Allow godly thinking to shape your attitude.
Be thankful, never stop laughing,
and rejoice in the Lord.
Above all, keep believing
and loving Him with all your heart.”

Making the most of the dash
means we have to stop dashing!
We’re not created to be honeybees,
dashing from one bit of pollen to another!

“Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is obtained by following a righteous path.”
~ Proverbs 16:31

We are created in the image of God,
designed to glorify Him each day
by following the righteous path…
stopping along the way
and taking time
to pour out the honey of forgiveness,
dish out the power of experience,
and spray the gladness of grace
on all we meet.

The way Eugene Peterson
paraphrased that verse in his study Bible,
The Message, is this:

“Your words are so choice, so tasty;
I prefer them to the best home cooking.”

So, let’s return to the original premise here:
“Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.”

What is your mind-set today?

Are you young at heart?
Are you pouring out the honey of forgiveness?
Are you dishing out the power of experience?
Are you spraying the gladness of grace?

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)