Today I turn 65.
When Medicare was invented, 65 was old.
If I’m over the hill, I’m loving the ride.
Seems to me what we learn from aging
is pretty much what Jesus was teaching.
Finding God’s grace in loss of power.
Slowing down.
Knees aren’t everything.
Seeking joy in relationships, not things.
Forgiving yourself.
Trusting second chances. And third.
The wisdom of lived experience that overrules rules.
The grace of ripening.
Being present. Moving on.
Feeling the living presence of the unseen.
Courage to be gentle, and the firmness in that.
Blessing in dependency.
Befriending death.
Being OK with being drawn into a transcendent mystery.
Allowing change. Accepting loss.
Being a seed, slowly breaking open.
Knowing grace keeps coming in new ways.
Appreciating, not acquiring.
Being, not accomplishing.
Letting God do in you what you couldn’t.
Beauty that has nothing to do with strength.
Confidence that weakness is not weakness at all.
Love of mercy.
Trusting that as your outer nature wastes away
your inner nature is being renewed day by day.
And ice cream. Jesus was all about that.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 65 years, it this:
Treats for everybody.
Have some on me..
―June 14, 2018