Accepting the Facts

As the years go by, I can't avoid the fact that my body is no longer that youthful, energetic one of my youth. Bones are starting to creak more often. Joints are beginning to ache. I can no longer kneel on my left knee without a sharp piercing pain as if I were pushing on a teeny-tiny rock.

When did I start to age? When did that slow slide from youthfulness begin? I can pull out my hair trying to pinpoint an exact age, but the signs have been evident, particularly in the last five years after my trip to Israel. It was there that my knees first started to buckle as I climbed up the stairs to see the tel at Beit Shean. No wonder the LORD opened up the doors for that visit. I may not be so energetic the next time.

I have accepted the facts of this aging process, but I am not going down without a fight. I will still try to keep active as much as possible. I will still try to play ball or have fun with my kids. I may not be able to run fast or to ride bikes as far as I once did, but I won't let this eventual deterioration of my body get the best of me. As long as the LORD allows, I will continue to be and to do, and I will thank Him for every creak and twinge because it says I'm still alive and can still make a difference.