Growing and Changing

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NLT)

When I was younger, I enjoyed social events, dancing, and other forms of amusements. I no longer do. These days, I prefer quieter pursuits--reading good books, writing, having real conversations, and learning new things. I also tend to lean more to type 2 fun--activities and experiences that are not necessarily pleasurable when one is doing it, but are satisfying upon reflection: long runs, deep thinking, listening to people who lead inspiring lives, and helping people through their struggles.

“We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be of little importance in the evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie.”  (Carl Jung)

We often think of aging in terms of loss, not gain. We may no longer have the physical or mental prowess as we did when we were young. We imagine that we have lost our ability to enjoy life. Many of us try to cling to our youth, refusing to give up the values and priorities we had in the early days, even though we sense that they no longer hold true. We fail to savor the freedom that comes in the afternoon of life--when our egos and external validation hold less dominion over us. We miss out on the benefits of maturity and wisdom.

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)