What I am learning, lately
October 22, 2019
What are some things I am learning, lately? Life is filled with opportunities to learn and to grow if we will only seize them.
Getting older is not easy, no wonder a lot of people do not make it. You have physical pain, illness, stress, heartache. I have watched Stephanie struggle with physical illness, many the results of cancer. I watch her struggle with pain no one sees. I watch her push herself to go and to do. This is a new and different season in my life and hers. She truly is my hero! I am so proud of her and how she handles everything with such grace and dignity.
My children have been such a blessing in this season of my life. I am watching both my grown sons mature and live, life. I feel like we are closer now than ever. I enjoy their friendship man to man. I am so glad I have been able to share this time with them. I can remember having to go through most of my life without my Dad in it. I often even now, long to talk with him. I can’t have that, but God has blessed me with double the blessings in my sons.
My family is growing again at this season of life. God has blessed me with a wonderful daughter in law, Sadie. She is a tremendous mom and wife to Daniel. I could not love her anymore if she was my daughter. I have enjoyed watching her love on Daniel, Timothy, and now a new baby on the way.
Timothy is such a blessing. I say repeatedly, that is why they call them “grand” children. I love to watch him. I love to see him interact with his mom and dad. I love to watch Stephanie as she loves on him. It is truly the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life.
I have had to face my own aging and limitations. It has been difficult to do this for me. Many times, I forget that I can not do like I used to or that I am not 21 still. My mind says I can do it. My body says, “Are you crazy.”
I have set a goal for exercise and that has been a challenge. I have been working at it since January. I have tried different times of the day, etc. I tried the afternoons and struggled. Then, I started early in the morning. I am an early morning person, so I figured that would work. Well, it did all summer and now I am up to needing more time than I can give in the morning and be at work on time. So, now I am back to afternoons and mornings when I am off.
It has been a struggle and a battle. I have had wonderful encouragement along the way. I have had some advice giving that has not been so helpful. All the “coach training” I have read and received recoils when I here advise giving. When someone can solve a problem that someone else is stuck on by simply giving a brief word of advice. Wow! Help me Lord not to do that to others. Lord, forgive me when I have done that to others. I want to be better than that.
My devotional life has looked different during this season of life. For over 10 years I read the Bible cover to cover each year. For the last 10 years I have been focusing on mediation and application in my devotional life. I have moved a lot slower. This summer I started in the book of Psalms. I started putting on my calendar when and what I read from the Bible. I look back and see the gaps in my going through the Psalms, but part of that time I was studying something else, lingering on something else in the word. Sometimes, I have skipped my reading or skipped my recording it on my calendar. That has grieved my heart. I want to do better.
When you live long enough, you have disappointments in yourself and in others. Part of me is grieved over my own failure and lack of progress on so many fronts. When I was younger and looking at this time in my life, I must admit I felt like things would be a lot different than they are right now.
My relationships with friends look different in this season of life. People change, seasons change, and relationships change. You invest in people and sometimes they move on. In some relationships you find yourself doing all the giving. The older I get the harder this becomes. In fact, I find myself moving away from those relationships that requires me to do all the giving. I guess I am at a place that I want a few close friends that are truly interested in my life. I want to share life with those type of people.
Even, my love for my pets is different in this season of life. If you want to get me angry, mess with my puppy or my kitty. They have brought me such joy during this season of life. When I have been sick, or lonely, or down, they have been with me.
Just a few thoughts for today about what I am learning, now. I have a lot more to share, but I am going to stop here. I am writing this for my family and the folks I love the most in my life. I want you to all know, how much you mean to me.
Bill
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