What Does Old Mean?

~~~ Amos 9:11-15 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-17 ~~~

Why do we struggle so with change?
What does old mean to you?
This is what I have experienced as I get older.
Things that used to matter a great deal matter less.
Material things are not that important.
I value the relationship I have with family and friends so much more.
These few verses speak such simple beauty.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven. 

In the past I have written about the old wine skins
in comparison with the new.

The beauty in aging is that you can
choose to see value in both the old and the new.

One problem the Pharisees had was their inability to see
 anything 'new' as having value.

Perhaps they were suffering from the fear of change.
Perhaps they felt that any change would
in turn change who they perceived themselves to be.

Change does not have to be embraced for the sake of change,
but we must be open to the new horizons
offered through change.

We may not like getting older, but it can be
less traumatic if we can see the 'silver lining'.

The Pharisees could not change their attitude and it trapped them in time.
They could not see Jesus as the light of hope that he was then.
He continues to be the very same light of hope for us today.

The Pharisees were complaining about Jesus and the disciples not fasting.
Fasting was a sign of mourning and as Jesus points out to them
a wedding feast is about celebrating.

So it is with getting older...do you want to mourn
 or do you want to celebrate?

I want to celebrate the good things in my life.
I want to anticipate the new opportunities for goodness in the future.

Appreciate what you have today.
Celebrate with those you love.

The more you give of yourself to others the happier you will be;
the happier you are the less likely you will be anxious about getting older.

We are blessed with all things new
brought to us through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

May you experience peace
where you are today.