I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17.

Yesterday I attended an online Spiritual Retreat on Aging. The title of this blog was a question one of the presenters gave; a question he lives by. I don’t have every quote but I loved this quote given by Leighton Ford: The purpose of God in aging “has to do with the hidden life of the Spirit, so that, as the body grows older, our spirit may grow deeper and stronger.” The Holy Spirit is forming us if we let Him. Be still. God has this. Simple without my complexity clouding everything.

And this psalm, Psalm 53, is almost word-for-word of Psalm 14. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” v. 1. Do we, who love God, live as though there is no God? I love the final verse: Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! v. 6. Anyone can say there is no God, but one day, in His perfect timing, He will return and everything will change.

When we are young we bristle with energy and certainty. As we age we realize the limitations that were always there. It’s a good time to stop and look around. The blessings we cherish most are those birthed in love. Love of family and friends, love of the beauty of this planet – the knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow and set tomorrow night, that spring will follow winter and summer is right behind! And like the autumn leaves, we, too, will fade and no longer be supple…our energy is being drained away in bodies that were not meant to last. And God is here loving and caring for us. One thing I learned yesterday was that the physical diminishment of age helps us let go of the false self. Our bodies don’t lie. The rhythms of aging propel us ever forward and each stage is ripe with lessons. Take off your shoes and see God! All around us is the sacred. Notice the things you were too busy to see and then look deeper. Be still. Turn off the noise. No God? Really? If that works for you so be it. But for me…Lord, what do you have for me today? I delight in all You have for me! Why? Because You are true and Your way is Good!