The grace of time
Great revelations have come to me this year after having four very close friends to transition within a matter of weeks, and I have felt the pain of many friends who have also lost loved ones.
Several days ago, as I sat at the graveside service at Myrtle Hill Cemetery of a friend who lived to be 94 years old, I began thinking about the long and fruitful life the friend had lived. My thoughts went to a message I heard a well-known pastor preach to the seniors in his church about how the elderly must grow old gracefully because it is by grace that we have longevity. This lady had lived a purposeful life based on what the eulogist shared.
The soloist sung a well-known song in a melodious voice as each of us basked in the words, “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll: Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.” We sat in the unusually mild summer day reminiscing about how she has touched our lives, and questioned how we impacted the lives of those who will be left behind when we reach our exit. She had touched many lives and left her mark on all she encountered on this side of the sun.
None of us knew the secret thoughts of the other. It was a time for introspection. My mind was racing all over the place. A coworker from years past was allowing us to journey with him as he shared his most intimate and personal feelings as he sat by the bedside of a loving wife who was transitioning. He was determined to travel with her as far as any human can travel with a loved one who is going beyond the sun. Those of us who were on the journey with him daily were gaining strength from that journey. As of today, the coworker’s wife has gained her wings, and we all are bigger and better for the trip that he allowed us to take.
When we are young and vibrant the grave is the furthest thing from our minds, but the aforementioned pastor directed a couple of morning messages to a group that he referred to as his Senior Saints. He stated that his greatest desire is for his seniors to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually ready for the inevitable day. The process of aging can bring on anxiety and depression if not faced with the proper mindset. He stated that each individual must first realize that the time that is given is of God’s grace. When we enter the world, the body begins to deteriorate. For some of us the body breaks down sooner. As we get older the body begins to feel pain that it has never felt before. The body is no longer able to jump over ditches and mud puddles as it had in the past. The body cannot be healthy with as many sleepless nights as when younger. The body cannot lift as much weight, run as many laps, eat as much junk food. All of these are signs that the body is returning to the dust. This is not to depress us but to give us pause, to begin making every second of every day count as a special time in our lives as well as the lives of those who surround us. These pains should remind us that this time is a gift of the Providence of God who has redeemed us and secured our spirit. This is not the time to become anxious or fearful or depressed, but to celebrate the life that we were blessed to have and the rest to come by grace. This is the time to thank God for grace and to give comfort to the heart and secure the spirit. This is the time for seniors to celebrate salvation. This is the time to celebrate each other. Celebrate family and friendship and love and holiness and peace. This is the time to celebrate the kindness shown by others. This is the time to celebrate with joy and laughter. The senior years are the years to be used to celebrate life and all the wonderful times that we have had on this side of the sun. This is the time to celebrate how much joy and happiness we have brought to the lives of others as well as the joy others have brought to our lives.
The same amount of time is not given to us all, but He said His Grace is sufficient for us all. Even Jesus was not given the grace of time, but His body still suffered to the point of death. Jesus was broken down to the point of death in one night by the whips and lashes that his body felt as the Roman soldiers whipped him mercilessly. Those who live to become seniors should consider themselves blessed beyond measure and have much to celebrate and be thankful to God for. So those of you who have been blessed to feel the pain of the body breaking down must realize that you have been given time by grace. Be thankful for grace.
The same amount of time is not given to us all, but He said His Grace is sufficient for us all.