Growing mature

It's interesting growing what I call "more mature," which is a code word for "getting older."

You know you are getting older when:

"Everything hurts! and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work!

You feel like the night before, and you haven't been anywhere!

You sit in a rocking chair and you can't get it going!

Your knees buckle and your belt won't!

Dialing long distance wears you out!

Your fortune teller offers to read your face!

The little gray haired lady you help across the street is your wife!

You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there!

You wake up in the morning and your water bed has sprung a leak,

and you realize you don't have a water bed!

When you watch a pretty girl go by, your pace-maker makes the garage door go up!

When you know all the answers, and no one asks you the questions!

When you decide to procrastinate, but never get around to it!"

With the advent of facebook and looking up past friends and acquaintances from long ago, I am repeatedly asking myself (as I look at their pictures on facebook), "Do I look that old?"

And BTW, old age is always someone 15 - 20 years older than you.

I also notice that we have become open and even obsessed with old rockers like "The Who" at the Super Bowl, and others, whether it be television or the movies.

Maybe 60 is the new 40 and 50 is the new 30 and 40 is the new 20. Who knows?

George Burns once said, "Tennis is a game for young people. Until age 25, you can play singles. From there until age 35, you should play doubles. I won't tell you my age, but when I played, there were 28 people on the court -- just on my side of the net."

Attention...Bad joke coming:

"A couple had been married for 50 years. "Things have really changed," she said. "You used to sit very close to me."

"Well, I can remedy that," he said, moving next to her on the couch.

"And you used to hold me tight."

"How's that?" he asked as he gave her a hug.

"Do you remember you used to nudge my neck and nibble on my ear loves?"

He jumped to his feet and left the room. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back," he said. "I've got to get my teeth!"

A couple of night ago I played basketball here at Stone Church. You might not be aware of the fact that we have a time on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. or so where men from our community come and play basketball in our gym (main auditorium).

It's a lot of fun, but also a great time of ministry. Scott Borchers gave a wonderful devotion and prayed with the guys (during a break in the action). As far as I could tell, Scott, Mike and Jason and I were the only believers there.

I love it. They heard a word from God - and then their needs were prayed for.

However, and the "however" is huge, I did feel (the soreness) it the next day, and the day after that. It's hard for me to remember in my mind that "I am" 53 years old.

Thankfully, I did keep up with everyone, and when I couldn't I would just knock someone down (just kidding - but not by much).

Here's what I know: There are huge disadvantages to growing older - but there are many advantages as well.

Here are some as I see it:

You become comfortable in your own skin

You understand your strengths and weaknesses

You begin to search for significance more than success

You are comfortable admitting your faults

You are comfortable in giving other people credit

Relationships become more important than tasks

Family becomes the basis of who you are and not work

That which was so "important" in a marriage - you realize is not that big of deal whatsoever.

All, in all, perhaps what we need to do is not compare, necessarily, the younger and older times of our lives - but look at them as distinct and different seasons - and walk and rejoice and explore and experience and enjoy and exult and have fun in each one of them.

If you are 17 - rejoice in being 17 and don't try to be 27.

If you are 27 - rejoice and enjoy being 27 and don't try to be 37.

If you are 37 - rejoice in being 37 and don't try to be 17.

And if you are 53 - rejoice and enjoy being 53 and don't try to be 23.

Embrace each season, each age as a growing time in your life.

Here's what I am learning: The "mature" years of life can be peaceful, happy, and productive. A man or woman of God doesn't need to escape them by dwelling on past glories; nor does he need to make them miserable by developing a bitter, complaining spirit. God gives the whole of life to live, and the psalmist suggests that even our later years can be fruitful and flourishing. But we must begin by being happy now!

The well-known Christian psychiatrist Paul Tournier gives insight on this subject in his book The Seasons of Life.

He writes, "True happiness is always linked with deep, inner harmony. It therefore always implies an acceptance of one's age; the acceptance of no longer being a child when one has reached the age of adulthood, and the giving up of the goals of active life when one is advance in years. This is the age of retirement, which for some men can be a meaningful experience, while for others it is a cruel trial. Why such differences? Partly, undoubtedly, this comes from differences in temperament. Yet more so from something else. Those who complain about their retirement are usually the same ones as those who used to complain about their work and longed to be set free from it!"

That being said, I still think (in my mind) that I can score 30 points on any given night. Like I said, "in my mind."

May we all grow old together - and gracefully.