Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian
WeLoveFirst.org & Facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian
Two Roads for Growing Older
I read the other day that life has two roads. One bends downward, toward complaint and what we’ve lost. The other curves upward, toward gratitude and becoming the kind of older person whose presence is a gift to everyone in the room.
As I thought about that I realized that aging itself doesn’t decide which road you’re on. Attitude does. The body will do what bodies do. But whether the heart goes up or down is very much up to us — with God’s help, every single day.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar had a word for the downward road: psychosclerosis, a hardening not of the arteries but of the spirit. His prescription was a regular “checkup from the neck up,” catching “stinking thinking” before it hardens into something permanent. And the remedy for spiritual stiffness turns out to be the same one physical therapists give for stiff joints: stretch and flex. Daily. On purpose.
The Bible doesn’t pretend the body loses no ground. But it does make a promise: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree… They still bear fruit in old age.” (Psalm 92:12ff)
So, one and all: Stretch. Flex. Bear fruit.
Rev. Jeff Wood, 1405 Louisiana Ave, Sebastian FL 32958.
Find us online at facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian or at www.welovefirst.org. Call for further information 772-589-5656