It is something rare and precious in mid-life to be thinking about renewal. My hair is turning gray, my knees are weak, my eyesight is pitiful, my teeth are crumbling. This body has collected good evidence pointing to its degeneration. This soul is learning to accept and resonate with the shedding.
Young adulthood, the great scrambling, was about plans of action, acquiring and building, working hard with the hope of making things easy. These days I still scramble some, but I know better the cost and I know better my intentions. I cannot afford to waste my power, there is so much goodness to bestow and embrace.
So what of this outer decay? A root canal here, a couple brain stents there. The walls of the old house need a slather of plaster once in a while. But if Jesus lives there, if the house is humming with the Holy Spirit, then God has promised to renew and restore those who dwell in it. Nothing left to do but daily live in and claim that blessed truth.
It feels right and good to be attending to spirit, soul and body. My knees don’t concern themselves with running in circles anymore, but they enjoy walking with God. I try to keep them healthy to honor what’s going on inside, the real work God is doing in my life. He is creating good things within me all the time, that I might bloom and grow in all my life’s seasons.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Meeting God at the Park 