It comes with age

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit and draw with my five-year-old grandson. He wanted to draw ships…so we drew. His had two big smokestacks and puffs of black smoke and no sails. There were lots of pirates and pirate flags, too. My ship had air-filled sails, exploding canons, and powerful waves hitting the ship.

After we were done he took our creations and gazed at them for a long time. Then he looked up at me and said, “How come you can draw so much better than me?” I said it’s not better, we just draw differently and it happens because I practice and I’m older. He didn’t fully understand that but the look on his face was priceless! It made me laugh.

Lots of things come with age, like knowing when to stop talking and start listening. I listened to a lot of conversations these past few weeks. I can say with exactness that it’s pretty interesting to just listen. You really begin to ‘hear’ what people are saying if you’re not worried about responding while they talk. You can actually understand their concepts and listen for little innuendos of pain and suffering or joy and peace. It’s amazing what you can hear in some voices.

Another thing that comes with age is being happy with who you are. I remember as a young mother worrying about what other mothers thought of my mothering skills. Was I a good mommy? Did I do everything right? But then, whose version of right was I seeking? Now I don’t worry about any of those things. I’m happy with who I am and who God is making me become. I’m happy about the joy and peace I’ve found in Christ and how He gives me opportunities to encourage others with that joy.

So, being one of the aged doesn’t have to be a negative thing. It can be powerful if you look at your life, experiences, loves, liberty in Christ, and living as wonderful things! I do, and I thank God every day for whatever He has planned for me. You might know that kind of peace too if you find the time to rest in Him. It comes with age.