soon we will be old…

this is a first of many posts to Write this Greeting. (first time blogger, long time reader)

To all that will come to the end of the road,

Soon we will be senior citizens.  This thought of “being old”  does not enter into my mind as often as it probably should, but recently it has crash landed on my conscience. I can attribute this to a couple things (well I would be embarrassed to say but my stair climbing ability has digressed considerably from grade school and more obvious I have found my early Christmas list entailing a hefty amount of dark nylon socks, the things continue…) but I think the more important thing that comes out of foreseeing our old bodies is the simple messages that life gives you with it. It is not so much the life when we are 64, but so the understanding that life moves fast and Gods works and insights are in our realities today.

I will try to paraphrase God’s recent messages in my life (mostly biblical interpretations)  so it is obvious to all but also because it needs to be spelled out sometimes

1.) do not treat the earth as your home, this is a temporary place for you and me. * I am remembered of this at every major purchase in my life, at every major milestone that is not spiritual in my life, and every time someone asks me for my time, money, and effort. I am reminded to give !

2. ) Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. * While this sounds morbid, it is a beautiful way to treat your outlooks on the now. “soon we will be old” does not include the words “soon we ALL will be old”, the person closest to you might not be here tomorrow.  We should love one another, right? As we are even reminded some did not spend a day on this earth.

3.) God’s desire for us is to be faithful…forever.* If we are seeking Him, we are beginning to starting our life with him.  We will be given true satisfaction through our investment in the everlasting God and not through anything else. Ultimately, knowing our heart and its place with God over time will be our most valuable contribution looking back.

All apologies but this has the looks of a sappy chain email, but the reminder above moves me further. I believe in the preciousness that the older people in our life offer us. I am fortunate to have my parents still, to have older friends to entrust in and lead us, and even have work friends that are blue haired enough to quote MASH, rock a crossword puzzle, and nap on cue. There are old people everywhere, and if you live in Montana… there is a least 3 people older than you nearby. So my pursuit is this; to thank the Lord for the wisdom and guidance he has put into “some” of our seniors and to take advantage of it in a respectful, youthful, and hungry manner.  To finding my forester or even finding the long lost relative, I know God placed people in my life for influence, guidance, and story time.

So off to grandmothers house I go… who’s with me? Hopefully with God’s reminders we can live in new perspectives and in Joy. To our health and to old people, cheers

1*Matthew 6:19

2*Psalm 39

3* 2 Timothy 4

Humble Holiness

Consistently struggling with sin in our lives is either the result of (a) not understanding the severity of our wretchedness or (b) not respecting enough the unbelievable grace Christ has poured out to us.  Balancing the understanding of both our wretchedness and the beauty of grace is honestly very difficult.  If you live in constant shame, you are still living with a burden that should be bourn by Christ.  If you don’t understand your depravity without Christ, how can you ever love Him with the proper dependence?  Oswald Chambers wrote “my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness), a holiness based on agonizing repentance and a sense of unspeakable shame and degradation; and also on the amazing realization that the love of God commended itself to me in that while I cared nothing about Him, He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification.”

I believe that in seeking ‘profound humble holiness’, we must first focus on truly falling in love with our Savior.  It’s impossible to measure up with enough holiness from a legalistic perspective — plus, that would be proud holiness.  If we are in love with Jesus, seeking obedience is our natural action.  Therein lies true satisfaction and purpose.