Yesterday I turned 48. And I believe I have turned a corner.
I have always joked that I subscribe to the philosophy from the old Oil of Olay ad that said…
“I don’t intend to grow old gracefully. I’m going to fight it every step of the way.”
But I’ve changed my mind. I don’t mean that I’m going to stop covering my gray hair or stop using $40 eye cream to diminish my “smile lines,” but I have decided to stop feeling like I am in a race against time and remind myself that every season of life has it’s own beauty.
I remember a funny conversation I had with Danny when I was pregnant with our first child. It’s even funnier now but we laughed about it then. We were discussing his job. He was doing route sales for a company called SafetyKleen. He made a really good salary for being just out of college but he didn’t see a future for himself there. During the conversation he said, “I feel like it’s time to make a change. You know, I’m not getting any younger.” It made me laugh out loud because he was only 22!
We realized how silly it sounded for a 22 year old to feel the pressure of aging but I think no matter how old we are we are always at risk of feeling like we are racing the clock.
The truth is no matter how old we are, we are not getting any younger. If I am going to allow myself to feel any urgency from that truth it is going to be the urgency to live more in the moment. It’s the only time that we can be sure of.
I love this Message version of Matthew 6:34
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
What is God doing in your life right NOW that you can give your entire attention to?
How about you?
May 24, 2013 at 8:13 am
Love this!!! My Sister Sue is 48 and she lives in the moment. For her…… “It’s the only time that she can be sure of”. Sue was diagnosed with stage 4 Breast Cancer (breast, lymph nodes underarm & 3 spots on her liver) Sue has had surgery, chemo, & radiation. Sue was given 2-5 years max to live do to the type of aggressive cancer she has. I must say she is a truly remarkable person and she lives life to fullest for sure. I love your message and the verse you posted. You have blessed my day with this blog, sometimes it’s hard to remember or pull my thoughts back to “don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow”. I’m wishing you a very beautiful & blessed day!
May 24, 2013 at 8:36 am
Oh my goodness Jeanette. Let me first say that I am praying that God gives your sister Sue many more days to live in the moment and I will believe with you for miraculous healing! I know how much my sisters mean to me so I will be praying for you too! How beautiful for the two of you to commit to living in the moments you have together. Thank you for sharing a bit of Sue’s story – it is such an encouragement to know that God uses the blog to speak to people where they live. It is the reason I write. Every blessing to you and Sue.
May 24, 2013 at 8:15 am
oops…..meant to say ” I’m wishing you another year of very beautiful & blessed days!”
May 24, 2013 at 11:08 am
Thanks for believing with me for miraculous healing. I’m very thankful God gave me such a wonderful Sister. Sue will be 49 in September & I will turn 47 in December. I spend as much time as I can with her! Enjoy your day! 🙂
May 25, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Wow!! I love this beautiful and healthy perspective! Thank you so much!!!
June 5, 2013 at 7:48 am
I am turning 50 this year and I can relate to this post. You can’t change the past and don’t know the future-there is such blessing in living each day to its fullest. Thank you for the reminder. And in your picture, you do not look a day over 20.