Today's Scripture Reading (May 5, 2024): 2 Corinthians 5
How old are
you, really? I mean, how old do you feel? I saw an old friend recently, and he
was a bit of a wild card back in the day; you were never sure what he would do.
But now, he is a grandfather with the grey hair that comes with all of the
wisdom that life brings. And he is no longer the same wild card that he was
back in the day. The question that occurred to me was, what has happened to us?
Is it possible that we have really gotten older? What happened to all of our
plans and dreams that we had when we were in our twenties and the
unpredictability that we loved? I ran into another old friend a while back, and
as I looked at him, it wasn't my friend I saw (don't tell him) but his father.
His mom and dad had died several years ago, but as I stood in his presence, my
memories brought me back to memories of his dad and the many visits and talks
that I had with him. He had been a kind man but also an imposing character. And
now, here he was resurrected in the life of my friend.
Sometimes, I
forget how old I am. Yet another friend admitted that he doesn't feel like
someone in his sixties but still feels the way he did in his thirties. The
social media meme is right. My mind thinks I am still young, but my body thinks
my mind is an idiot.
Paul talks
about being constricted in this human tent, filled with burdens and groans. I
get it. Once, and it doesn't seem all that long ago, I looked forward to a pick-up
game of football in a nearby field or basketball on a nearby court. But now I
have entered the land of arthritis and compression socks, and while my mind
still wants to be involved in a pick-up football or basketball game, my body
continually reminds me that it is not as excited about the prospect.
But Paul
reminds us that we don't desire to be unclothed either; we don't necessarily
want to die, but we also don't like the pains and burdens that life seems to
pile on us. I live in an area with an active M.A.I.D. (Medical Assistance in
Dying) Program and know a couple of people who have chosen this option. People
ask me how I feel, and I am not sure I know the answer. I understand the
motivation, the desire to rid ourselves of the burdens of this world and move
on to the next, but I also believe that we are here for a purpose. And I am not
sure we are best suited to know when that purpose has been completed—the people
I know have used the M.A.I.D. Program have been close to death anyway, so I
understand, although I fear the program could be misused.
Paul assures
us that even though we might be clothed with this mortal tent of this life now,
there is a heavenly dwelling waiting for us so that this mortal existence, what
we call life, will be swallowed up with a life beyond what we have ever known.
We can catch glimpses of this heavenly dwelling in this life, but we can't know
its fullness until after this existence is over. Until then, I still believe
that God has a purpose for us and that never changes as long as we can take the
next breath.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6
Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my
daughter, Alyssa.
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