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2 Corinthians 4:16 – That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (NLT)
"God gave me that gift, but I guess now I can't use it anymore."
I heard the discouragement in Mom's voice as she spilled her despair into my lap. I had taken her for her weekly hair-fixing appointment. As we sat in the driveway, she pined over her situation.
Mom had a rare gift that most musicians don't. She had been playing the piano since she was a little girl. The instructor hadn't taught her everything, however. Mom could do some things an instructor can't teach. She could listen to a piece of music and then play it by ear. Mom could also take a piece of music and lower or raise the key, depending on a singer's voice. Another rare gift that no one had taught her.
Unfortunately, dementia took its toll — and continued to take things away. First, Mom lost her ability to drive. Confusion made it dangerous for her and others on the road. Mom had been playing the piano in church since she was a little girl, but Bell's palsy forced her to give that up, too. She couldn't see well out of one eye. It was too much to ask someone to drive her to church and let her play in her condition. So, she resigned and told the music leader she couldn't do it anymore. She still had her keyboard at home and could play it, but it wouldn't be the same.
I had no comforting words to give her. But I thought about a M*A*S*H episode my wife and I had watched a few nights before. Colonel Potter had overlooked a piece of shrapnel, which almost caused a young soldier to die. Another surgeon had to fix his slip-up. Potter responded by flying off the handle at everyone for no good reason. Finally, he called in his psychologist friend and confessed why: he was afraid to perform another surgery, although he had been operating all his life. The psychologist told Potter that someday Potter would lose his touch. "We all do." Whatever that touch is. For Mom, it was playing the piano at church.
Aging is no fun. Aches and pains usually follow it as our bodies begin decaying and things start malfunctioning. But the emotional pains are far worse: not being able to do some of the things we once enjoyed. I have always loved hiking in the mountains, but bad knees and a bad back now prevent me from doing it.
Everyone's body differs, but we cannot prevent aging. But God doesn't want us to slip into depression or walk around discouraged every day. In today's verse, Paul said God renewed his spirit daily. Our spirits, our souls — the real us — don't age. And one day, God will give us a new body with no aches, pains, diseases, or limitations — a body fit for the new heaven and earth He will make.
Until then, as we face the aches of aging, we must keep adjusting to the changes age brings. We must face them knowing God walks with us, and trust Him to keep giving us opportunities to serve Him and others — even if those opportunities look different than they once did.
Let's not allow discouragement to get to us as we face the aches of aging.
Prayer: Father, help us to face the aging process without discouragement or depression. Amen.
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So true, Martin! Thank you.
Thanks Martin, blessings to you and your family.
Thank you for our devotion this morning, it really hit home!
As one born in the fifties, I can relate to that. Thank you so much, Martin.
Thanks for sharing one that should touch many.
(Ontario)
Thanks for your words on aging. I’ve been around a long time, turning 96 next week.
Thank you for today’s message. Very relevant for us today. God bless.
(On.)
I’ve enjoyed your devotionals over the years, Martin, and wish you Godspeed in the years to come.
Your last words are promising. As a senior, we still have many life experiences that sharing is good to help others.
Dear Martin,
Your devotional spoke to me today. Thank you! May God continue to bless you and your family with abundant blessings.
I had a lady, Martin, who lived in full care home who had some form of dementia where there was grand piano. If I visited her around 2:00 she would be in the piano pumping out beautiful music by ear. Blessings.
Very touching and encouraging message, Martin. I’m always looking for stories for our church newsletter and would to reprint it with your name on it. I think it would encourage many of our seniors here. Thanks and God bless!
Amen, Martin! At eighty plus years of age, my old body let’s me know that I’m not young anymore. But my mind still thinks that I can do whatever life throws at me. Bummer! Thanks for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Blessings.
Good morning, Martin,
Thank you for this reading today. It is true but true also that God is our strength and He has our pain free bodies waiting for us.
God bless.
I am thankful every day for my aches-even after shovelling our fresh four inches of snow. My sister passed away before she got to this age.
I have enjoyed your writings. I will miss you.
(Manitoba)
Thank you, Martin.
Today’s devotion hit the nail on the head.
It reflexes my condition very much.
Thanks so much for your writing the real things of life.
Take care and blessings,
(Quebec)
Thank you so much for this very timely devotion – personally and for so many!
I trust that I will keep looking upward and always experience that “the Joy of the Lord is my strength!”
I will forward this devotion to many of my friends and relatives!
God bless you and your mother!
(ON, CANADA)
So very well said, Martin. My husband is 90 and I am 87. We still live alone on our ranch and we are very grateful to be able to do so; but there are many things we can no longer do. We try to appreciate what we can do and are grateful for how we have been able to live.
AND, as we have aged and watch our friends age with us, we well realize there are far worse things than death.
Thanks, Martin, for your encouraging devotional today. Yes, aging and the way it changes our daily life is not easy to deal with but we must be thankful that God’s care of us does not change. He knows what is going on in our daily lives and remains ever present to hear our prayers. No matter the age we get to we need to be faithful to our loving Lord for His ongoing care.
Blessings for these special writings you always prepare.
Dear Martin, my oh my, your writing today hit me where I’m at this morning. Nice to know I’m not alone. I also have peers who are experiencing the same feelings as we progress while laying aside things we used to do so well. This world is not my home. I’m just-a passin’ through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue!
Martin, thanks for all the good writing you’ve shared over the years to encourage us. Blessings!
Thank you for your contribution to the Presbyterian devotional today. I had been active in many aspects of my church life and have recently been pulling out of a lot of them because I felt that my ability to contribute significantly had diminished. Your devotional has made me stop and re-evaluate my actions. I think in some cases I was overreacting. I do have things to contribute yet and know enough not to cling to unrealistic ones.
Thank you for helping me clarify things in my mind. Too often we react irrationally to changes in our life. We need to slow down our churning minds and let God help us to make decisions.
Hi
Good morning, it’s a very nice day.
Thank you for writing this devotional.
I am going through the emotional trauma of aging.
Giving up and letting go of control.
I have no answers.
I find solace in certain reminders in scripture readings.
Today’s Bible Verse2: Romans 8:26-27 – In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. (NIV)
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings.
A good message for us at this time in our lives. Came at just the right time.
Hi Martin,
Toward the last days of her life, my mother also got dementia after a lifetime of playing the organ at church.
Her last performance happened at age 89 when visiting the church near our summer place.
Before the service began, she was asked to play Amazing Grace, which, after some encouragement, she played …flawlessly….to great applause.
At the end of the service, I told her she did a great job of playing Amazing Grace. She looked at me, surprised, and answered, ” I did?”
She had completely forgotten!!!!
Blessings,
(BC)