You Know You’re Old When…..

By Karen DeArmond Gardner

I am front row center watching Christine Caine bouncing around the stage, enthralled with her energy and power, talking faster than anyone I know, including my daughter. I need this night and at this point I am not entirely sure why. As I listened I could feel her passion for Father and for women to “get” Him or get out of the way. Christine took a few trips on some rabbit trails – I have to tell you I love her rabbit trails, you never know where they will lead and what tidbits you will gather along the way. This is comforting since I also am a rabbit trail girl, just ask my friends and family.

Oops, there I go.

Christine started the night with “Forever Young” focusing on the life of Caleb in Joshua 14:6-12. Caleb is reminding Joshua of the promise Moses made to him when he was 40. It is now 45 years later and he let Joshua know “I am as strong today as I was when I was 40. I can still travel and I can still fight like I was 40. Give me my mountain! ”

“Be enlarged by God” (Isaiah 54:2). God will not give me more if I am not managing what I am doing now. God wants to stretch and lengthen me if only I will let Him.

And then Christine shifted gears. She spoke of a beauty infomercial she watched late one night and how we as women are fixated on beauty. The money we will spend and the pain we will endure to stay young is stunning.

Then she said it…you know you are old when…

Your energy decreases – hmmmmm I was just complaining a few hours earlier how weary I was. She reminded us to not let our hearts shift. If the pilot of an airplane is off only one degree they will not make their destination. ONE DEGREE. I think I might be off course a bit and in addition to being off course, I am carrying around this big rock. Am I depending on my own efforts?

As she read Galatians 3:3 (MSG) “For only crazy people would think they could complete “by their own efforts” what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?”

Apparently I am a little crazy? Does this mean I am old?

You lose flexibility – not sure I can reach my toes anymore. Am I stuck in my routine – uh oh, didn’t see that coming. Don’t like change. Now I am in trouble, I have been hit with change lately and instead of adapting, I have been downright irritable. “Don’t love your routine”. Oh man! I’m in a rut – gotta get out.

Apparently I’m loving my routine. Does this mean I am old?

You begin to lose your vision – I think I need to get my eyes checked again. Keep my eyes on the prize, the goal is Jesus, set a new normal. Hebrews 12:1-2 “keep my heart, eyes and ears set on Jesus”. Have I lost my focus? Did I take my eyes off Jesus and begin looking at the things around me I can’t control?

Apparently I have lost my focus. Does this mean I am old?

Your hearing fades – eeh? What did you say? Kidding I hear just fine thank you! Have I blocked God’s voice? When is the last time I heard Him? Am I listening to the wrong voices?

Apparently I am losing my hearing. Does this mean I am old?

You lose your sense of taste – Whew! I am good on this one – I can still taste my food. “Taste and see that the LORD is good” Psalm 34:8a (NLT). Have I lost sight of His goodness? Is everything the same? Am I bored?

Apparently my food has no flavor. Does this mean I am old?

You lose the neurons in the brain – What did I do with my keys? Am I forgetting all he has done for me? Remember my commitment to Him.

Apparently I am getting senile. Does this mean I am old?

You tend to increase the fat in the body – No kidding, my clothes don’t fit right and I gave away all my larger clothes. Spiritual fat – well that does not sound pleasant. What is slowing me down, tripping me up and keeping me from running the race set before me? I should be a lean mean spiritual machine!

Apparently I need to lose some weight. Does this mean I am old?

Growing weary doesn’t happen over night – it happens over time according to Christine and she states it is time to realign, to get back on course.

It is time to turn back the clock by finding the fountain of youth.

As I walked out of the building that night I was hit with the fact that I had become O L D. You don’t even know how hard it is to say those words. I have fought being old for so long. I can’t stop the clock or the aging process. I can determine how I will act, respond and behave.

I was so excited to share with my husband when I came home – I talked and explained and when I finally took a breath he told me of a conservation he and Father had earlier in the day about me (I had not behaved well the night before – anger had reared its ugly head). Father told him I had gotten old. Really? This is so not good.

I realize this is not something that can be fixed with a new hair cut or an updated outfit. This is an overhaul – inside and out. What is on the inside is affecting my outside. I have not been taking care of my physical or spiritual self. I have been full of excuses. You know what I am talking about.

I set this piece aside for a while as I felt I had to fix everything before I could finish it. Since getting back into shape physically and spiritually is not a quick fix – it is time to realign, to get back on track.

OLD is for old people and I have no desire to get old no matter what age I am. Being old is not about age it is about attitude, and lately my attitude – well let’s just say it leaves a lot to be desired. Does that mean I’ve been a grumpy old person? Apparently it does.

I let myself go, my clothes are tight, I change 3 or 4 times before I leave the house, I just don’t feel good because of the things I have been eating and not eating, since I gave away all my clothes it will mean spending money to buy larger clothes. Ugh!

I am feeling the same way spiritually, I am carrying extra weight that is not mine to carry.

The question becomes – what am I going to do about it? Father, where do I begin?

Flexibility. I need to become more flexible in my attitude, with change, allow God to realign me before I could begin to make any other changes. Choosing to not get “pissy” because I do not like something or it is not done MY way or in MY time…you know what I am talkin’ about! God has been messin’ with my routine so He can get me out of my box. If I fall back, He is there to pull me out – sometimes with a swift kick in the you know where – to get me moving again.

Like Caleb I am strong, I can fight as well as I did when I was young…I want the mountain just as God promised!

 

PS. You can download Christine Caine’s June 3, 2011 Podcast on iTunes.