Aging and Wrinkles

I don't watch much television; mostly I watch the news, but I do like "Dancing with the Stars" (I like the idea of being able to dance like that!) and "Biggest Loser" (I'm captivated by the journeys of the people on the show and their stories that brought them there).  Recently, I caught a glimpse of Raquel Welch as she attended a star-studded event, and the commentator mentioned that she looked fabulous for someone 70 years of age!  I have to admit that was true, but how much has she paid to look that good?  How many face lifts has she endured?  And WHY?  Because the world expects her to look as good as she did 35 years ago!  Isn't that absurd?

In the natural, no one who reaches the age of 70 is wrinkleless -- it just isn't possible.  Yet Hollywood and the magazines in our culture negate the aging process by flaunting people who've had extensive plastic surgery, whose photographs have been enhanced by the computer or touched up to hide every blemish and wrinkle, and by using only rail-thin, young models.  We've become a nation that frowns on those with wrinkles or white hair, often creating an antagonistic atmosphere in the workplace and relegating those folks to the sidelines of life, as if their lives don't matter any longer.  So much emphasis is placed on the young, the vibrant, those who are thin or those who have muscular physiques, that we as a nation have lost the respect of those who've lived life long and well.  What has happened to the dignity that used to be bestowed on those who grew old with grace?  Have we overlooked the fact that to grow old is a blessing from above, that all of our days are numbered by our Creator? 
I'm saddened every time I hear or read of a young person dying, either by accident or by disease, because that person has stood before the throne of God and has had to give an account of his abbreviated life.  Not one of us knows the length of our days.  Living every day as if it were our last is the only way to live; we have only the moment that exists in the now.  We are not guaranteed the next hour, much less the next day.  I've been blessed with over 61 years now.  Many do not reach my age.  My mother-in-law just turned 88, and if I'm blessed with that many years, I've got 27 more to go!  But there's no way of knowing if I'll live to be that old.

When I was a young girl, I used to look at people who were 60+ and think they were ancient -- many of them looked very old.  Now that I've passed that threshhold, I realize that age is a state of mind, and if you think you're old, you'll look old, feel old, and act old!  As for me, I still work out, still power-walk, still stay active with all the grandkids, and still enjoy my life as much as I can.  My grandfather lived to be 94, and he wasn't old because he had a heart full of life and vitality until his last few months.  The same was true for his sister, my great aunt, who died when she was 96.  They loved life, they loved the Lord, and they embraced and ran with what was handed to them in the final stages of life.  I only pray that I can embrace the aging process and all that may come with it as they did.  I'm determined not to get old before my time.

The next time you see a white-haired elderly person with a face etched in wrinkles, look at that face as a work of art created by God Almighty, a canvas portraying the struggles, triumphs, and joys of life.  Each wrinkle, each crease, has a story to tell, and even though the body may age, the spirit remains young.  If you're fortunate enough to have family members in their 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond, talk to them about their youth, how things were when they were young, because once they pass away, all of their memories will go with them.  Such people are rare treasures to be cherished and respected.  Family is our greatest inheritance.  Keep it close and precious.

Survived!

We are still alive, and so are the grandkids -- but only 3 of them!  No, we didn't do away with one!  Let me explain.  Wilson was sick Saturday with runny eyes and nose and it was best that he stayed home, so we had only 3 grandchildren, not 4 as we had anticipated. 

I had to pick up Ben (15 months old) and Niland (3 years 3 months) on Saturday close to the RBC Center in Raleigh, where their parents were going to attend a conference, but the usually 17-minute-long trip took an hour and 5 minutes due to the North Carolina State Fair occurring at the same time right next to the RBC Center.  When I finally switched cars with Nate and Bee in order to avoid switching kids and car seats, I headed off in a direction that was new to me in order to avoid the traffic jam on I-40.  I had to call my husband to direct me home as I didn't have a clue as to my location, although I knew I was headed in the right direction.  Niland heard me talking to my husband on the phone and hollered, "Hi, Papa Bob!"  He asked what Papa was doing, and I told him that he was helping me find our house.  Later in the day, when we were running around the back yard having fun, Niland abruptly stopped what he was doing, wrapped his arms around my husband's legs, and said, "Thanks for helping us find your house, Papa."  While in the car, I was also strictly instructed by Niland to watch "Benners", as he calls his little brother, because "he runs fast."  Yes, sir! 

We got home about an hour and 40 minutes after I left the house, and Cooper was there but was sleeping in his car, having fallen fast asleep on the way over.  His mother, Ellen, stayed with us until he awoke, and then he wasn't too pleased about being left and gave an Oscar-winning performance for us as his mother quietly departed.  We quickly diverted his attention to sliding down the slide and playing with Niland, and his tears quickly dried.  The afternoon was spent swinging and sliding, running up and down the slope in the yard, exploring the flower garden, digging in the dirt, playing ball, blowing bubbles, and eating at the picnic table!  Later we took our two strollers, strapped Ben in one and went for a walk with Niland and Cooper taking turns riding in the other stroller.  Papa suggested that maybe they could help push Bennie, so Cooper jumped at the chance and started pushing the stroller via the basket at the bottom in the back.  He was all bent over but was really pushing that stroller -- I was just guiding it.  He kept saying, "I can hear Bennie!  I can hear Bennie!"

When we returned home from the walk, we pulled out some Play Doh and started having fun, but I quickly moved the kids' table off the rug and onto the hardwood floors.  Play Doh does not come out of carpet easily!  We squished and punched, shaped and smashed, made snakes and balls, and had a great time.  In the meantime, Bennie, who is too young to do Play Doh, discovered my black cat, Sammy, and gave him a huge hug while he slept on a kitchen chair.  Definitely displeased, Sammy bolted for the door, and I let him outside, which caused Bennie to go back outside, so we followed after putting away the Play Doh.  More play outside, storytime by Papa, and more munchies filled the afternoon, and before we knew it, it was time for supper.  We ordered dinner from Bob Evan's down the street about 2 miles, Papa went to pick it up, Cooper's parents returned, dinner arrived, and as we spread things out, Nate and Bee arrived.  Bennie was already digging into his spaghetti and green beans, but he really loved the rolls the most.  Dinner was on the chaotic side and there was little left, but everyone was happy.  In a whirlwind of activity, everyone left after helping clean up from dinner, and we waved goodbye and sighed a collective sigh of relief.  We had SURVIVED!  And rather well, if I might add.

That evening around nine o'clock, I realized how absolutely exhausted I was, but it was a good exhausted, borne from loving on family and doing what I love to do.  It was a great day!  I hope you have days like this which, although exhausting and sometimes a little stressful, are what makes life worth living. 

Grab one of your kids and/or grandkids and hug them today.  We're not promised tomorrow.

Will We Survive?

Tomorrow is Saturday, and my husband and I will have -- voluntarily, mind you -- four of our grandchildren to ourselves for about 5 hours.  Now, you have to understand that they are all boys and range in age from 15 months to 3 years and 3 months old!  WHAT WERE WE THINKING? 

Two of the boys, the youngest and the oldest, are brothers, and the other two are cousins -- well, they're all cousins to each other, but only two of the boys are siblings.  We offered to take the two brothers so their parents could attend a conference in Raleigh, and then we informed the other mothers that we'd be glad to have the other two boys over so all of them could play together.  We have plans -- to play outside on the swingset; to run around the yard and play catch; to quietly (we hope!) watch a Veggie Tales video; to take a walk up and down the cul-de-sac; and to make smushy things out of Play Doh!  Oh, and we'll try to get the lively little arms and legs to sit still long enough to read a story to them!  Do you think we'll succeed?

I'll let you know who comes out relatively unscathed -- the grandkids or the grandparents!  Have a great Saturday! 

Blessings!

Sometimes, when things are really dry -- both physically and spiritually -- it seems as if the dryness will last forever.  We were approaching the end of September with weeks of no substantial rains and the likelihood that the month would go down as the dryest on record with record-breaking temperatures on many days.  However, the last five days of the month took a dramatic turn, dumping inches of rain on thirsty land, flooding creeks and small streams, and bringing down leaves that had dried due to lack of moisture.  Our yard, after absorbing almost seven inches of rain in four days, is now a soggy sponge.  The rain also brought cooler temperatures, and now, rather than being 20 degrees above normal, we are looking at and enjoying (?) below normal temperatures.  The coming days are forecast to provide even cooler temperatures, keeping us about 13 degrees below normal.  What a rollercoaster ride!  From famine to feast in rain, and from too much heat to not enough -- at least in my opinion.  Oddly, the few surviving tomato vines are setting fruit, and if we can keep temperatures in the 70's and 60's for about six weeks, they will ripen.  Oh, to have a late-season garden tomato after so few due to the extreme heat and lack of rain!

God's blessings are freely given, both to believers and unbelievers, and no one should take for granted those blessings.  Even as I basked in the blessing of rain again, my heart was challenged by God in the area of living radically for Him and giving radically to Him.  A friend of mine gave me a copy of "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan, and I've been reading that during my lunch break and being fully convicted by the Holy Spirit that I've been a lukewarm Christian.  It's so easy to slide into lukewarm that most of us probably don't even know we're there and think that we're living an exemplary Christian life.  Wrong!  Please pick up a copy of this book for yourselves and read, and you'll understand why I say that.  And during this past week, God used that book, as well as circumstances in my life and the Word that was spoken from the pulpit on Sunday, to challenge my husband and I to be extravagant givers.  All of us give on a level that does not impact our lifestyles; rarely do any of us give sacrificially -- meaning that our giving causes us to do without, cut back, or postpone a purchase.  No, we all give safely from our abundance.  Yet 52% of the world lives on less than $2 per day, and we here in the United States do not understand that we are extremely rich compared to the rest of the world.  Instead, we compare ourselves to the Joneses, to our neighbors, our extended family, and look at what we DO NOT have rather than what we have.  We hoard stuff that we don't need, eat ourselves into obesity, and charge ourselves into debt living beyond our wealthy means!  All of us are guilty, including me! 

On Sunday, October 3, my husband and I participated in a Walk to Stop Child Trafficking Now (http://www.sctnow.org/) in Raleigh, North Carolina.  There were numerous other walks held in several states across the country.  I had signed on to be a team leader and sadly had only one other lady sign up to walk with my husband and me -- and I had petitioned many friends in our rather large church to join us.  Deeply saddened at the lack of response from our community, both church-going and non-church-attending, my husband and I upped our giving by about 20 times from what we had given at the time I had signed on as a team captain.  We were both convinced that we would please God by giving to help stop the crime of child slavery, and yet we still didn't impact our lifestyle one bit.  Oh, we took a chunk out of our savings -- our security blanket -- but we still have it.  We could have given more! 

After reading Chan's book, I think he's right on -- that we in America have become so accustomed to sitting in the lap of luxury that we don't have a clue what it is to give sacrificially; that we've become complacent and think that we deserve wealth; that we have closed our eyes to the needs of most of the people in this world; and that we'll give as long as it doesn't affect us.  We are all dams of prosperity, holding back and accumulating stuff that we don't need, can't afford, and all too often don't even use -- just because we can.  I'm challenging each and every one of us to pass along our blessings and not hoard them.  Ultimately, we will have to answer to God for how we used the wealth that he has bestowed upon us.  Let's all try to give extravagantly!