Aging

This entry is from Mom.  She had read a entry from "Our Daily Bread" that spoke to her heart and took the time to write about it.  I know she struggled with her aging, the physical problems and the emotional issues that came with losing her ability to do things, and having to give up her independence.  I probably wasn't always as sympathetic as I could have been, and she had to deal with that as well.  On the side of the page she took from the Daily Bread devotional she wrote "AGING/ Reality, living w/pain"

This is the devotional she tore out.
     THE HEAVENLY ALTERNATIVE
      Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-11

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  2 Cor 5:8

     Recenty, I wished a young friend "happy birthday" and asked him how it felt to be ayear older.  His playful response?  "Well, I guess it's better than the alternative!"
     We laughed together, but I later stopped to think--is it really?  Don't misunderstand me, I 'm happy to live and to watch my kids and grandkids grown and experience life.  I'm not excited about the inevitability of death.  But as a believer, the alternative to getting older is heaven--and that's not bad!
     In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about the reality of living with thea ches and pains of our physical bodies, our "tents" of flesh.  But we should not live in despair about aging.  In fact, the apostle calls us to just the opposite.  He wrote, "We are confident, yes, well leased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (v8).  Confident!  Pleased!  Why?  Because our alternative to earthy life is that we will be present with the Lord--forever!  The heavenly perspective of what awaits us can give us confidence for living now.
     If you know Christ, His promise can give you what the hymn writer called, "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."  What a great alternative!
Bill Crowder

                     He's gone "to prepare a place for you"
                     That where He is, "there you may be."
                     Our death is not the end of life--
                     We'll be with Christ eternally.  Hess

Death is gain because it means heaven, holiness and Him!

Mom, then penned her own thoughts based on this devotion.

From Psalm 39

v5:  Indeed You have made my days as handbreadths and my age is as nothing before You.  Every man at his best state is but a vapor.
v7...My hope is in You
v12  Hear my prayer, Oh Lord...
v13...Before I go away and am no more.  

age/old  Matt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Websters Dictionary
Age:  old, elderly.  One who is advanced in years
Old:  having lived till toward the end of the the ordinary term of living
Death: The cessation of all vital functions without capability of resuscitation.

My hope:  Life after death, with Jesus (2 Cor 5:1-11)  Assurance of  the Resurrection.

v 8:  I am confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with my Lord.

In 2 Cor 5 Paul tells about the reality of living with the aches and pains of our physical body, our tents of flesh.  But I will not live in despair (as Paul says) about my aches and pains and aging.  Death is gain because it means heaven, holiness and him.  

Me: 

Mom lived with the hope of heaven.  That was a big theme and comfort for me when dealing with her death.  She understood that her earthly life was just temporary and her ultimate destination was heaven.  I know she had her bad days here, the pain got to her.  But like she said her, she would not live in despair.  That was not where she wanted to stay.  I will include the Bible passages that are mentioned in this entry so you all can read and hopefully meditate on them and find the comfort you need as you deal with your own aging or the aging of parents and loved ones in your life.  

I miss my Mom terribly, but I know where she is and I know I will be there too one day.  Thank You Lord for the hope of heaven.  

2 Corinthians 5:1-11

New Living Translation (NLT)

New Bodies

5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a]4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

We Are God’s Ambassadors

11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

     

Psalm 39

5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

6 We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
    My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
    Do not let fools mock me.
9 I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
    for my punishment is from you.
10 But please stop striking me!
    I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline us for our sins,
    you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
    Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
    Listen to my cries for help!
    Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
    a traveler passing through,
    as my ancestors were before me.
13 Leave me alone so I can smile again
    before I am gone and exist no more.