Aging Well Part III

       III.           

BEAUTY AND ATTRACTIVENESS: 

 My friend, Jane Haas, is a small-time TV broadcaster in Orange County.  When I first met her she came across as a bright and engaging older woman.  The next time I saw her in person she appeared 10-15 years younger.  Jane had inherited large folds of skin in her neck – jowls-like.  Well, she’d taken a good bundle of money she’d inherited and with plastic surgery was rejuvenated.  What a gift she gave herself AND THE PUBLIC.

True, God doesn’t look at the outward appearance but at the heart.  BUT PEOPLE DO LOOK AT THE APPEARANCE.

Here, too, a danger lurks for the older –thinking appearances do not matter anymore; becoming care-less about what people think. But that, too, is self-centered.  ATTRACTIVENESS is ANOTHER WONDERFUL GIFT for the younger, and others around us.

-           RISK  -

I met a friend of mine, Moses Yim, age 79, with his grandson, Jon Yim, the other day.  Moses is proud of Jon, age 14, especially his golf game.  “He could have made par the other day,” said Moses, “he was on the green in one and instead of playing cautiously he ‘went for it’ and slid 3 yards past the hole and missed that putt.”  “Good for you, Jon,” I joked.  “When you’re your Grandpa’s age play cautiously but right now go for it!”

“When the attractiveness of safety and security always outweighs the attractiveness of risk and the dangers of risk and the dangers of risk always outweigh the dangers of security we begin to die.”

A couple of years ago I was invited as a clinically trained pastor to take training to be part of teams called to the site of airline crashes to tend to the spiritual needs of survivors and families.  I had to go to Albuquerque for several days and then be on-call two months of the year. I was obliged to drop everything and go for up to a week of orientation and training.

Almost everything in me said “no don't go” but a small voice said I was succumbing to the grip of safety and security too much – so I WENT.

It’s largely an age thing that caused me to hesitate.  I WONDER HOW I’D THINK IF NO ONE EVER DECLARED AGE 65 as the official “hang it up” age. 

I was never so shocked as when a nominee for Elder declined because he was 65  years old.  He was retiring from his job and from work in the church as well.  "Are you kidding?"  I said,  "You are just perfect for Elder work now and you’re quitting"? Older people see far better the deeper issues of life, than do the younger.

Spirituality is NOT ONLY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OUR WALK WITH JESUS and our PRAYER LIFE.  Our whole being requires SPIRIT CARE, SOUL CARE.

If we coast and draft in senior years we may easily DIE physically because of SPIRITUAL NEGLECT.  Spirituality includes relationships, beauty, giving, creativity, growing, meaning and purpose-staying alive nourishes our souls.

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