Frail & Strong

As I get older, I notice other older people. I also pay closer attention to my health. My Doctor visits are more frequent. I have to have certain tests and lab work on a schedule in order to catch any irregularities with my body. I also take a lot of vitamins and other medication to head off future problems.  I admire people who are in excellent health even as they age.  Aging is something that none of us can avoid – rich or poor, we all get old if we live long enough! A friend of mine used to say, “you can be healthy and strong and still get hit by a bus!”  Life is fragile. Life is like a vapor.

Job is still pushing back on his friends view of his situation. He is also asking God to intervene in his suffering and struggle.  His perspective on life is not positive at the moment. Check this out…

¹“How frail is humanity!
    How short is life, how full of trouble!
² We blossom like a flower and then wither.
    Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.

⁵ You have decided the length of our lives.
    You know how many months we will live,
    and we are not given a minute longer. (Job 14:1-2,5 NLT)

I was talking with a person recently who is viewed life as a 4-Quarter game. The first 20 years is the first quarter. The second Quarter is age 20-40. Then it’s half-time. The Coach is talking and reflecting on the first half of play and making adjustments to the last half of play (life).  From 40-60 is the third quarter and then 60-80+ is the last quarter. I don’t mean to sound morbid or dark, but I do think it’s healthy to reflect on where I’ve been and how I want my life to look at the end of the game.  The difference in this game, is that I’m not competing against another team or even another player – I’m competing against myself. I want to improved today over yesterday. I want to make my life count in the last quarter and not just count my days.

There are days when my body feels like that I’m closer to the end of quarter 4 then the beginning. I want to be faithful to the Lord for the rest of the days I have on this earth. When I sin, I’ll repent. When I stumble, I’ll get back up again (with a lift chair possibly!).  I want my mind to grow sharper as my body grows older. Even if my body becomes frail, I want my thoughts and my mind to stay strong.  I don’t get to control the length of my days, but I can manage how I live them out. The years fly by and the days sometimes drag along.

Pressing On!

Dwayne