Some Friday Thoughts

 I saw this on Facebook today, and it really spoke to me.

This is so true. Sad. But true. People just don't take the time to sit down with others and really get to know them anymore. Especially our elders...grandparents, older parents. So much wisdom is being lost when we ignore the older ones around us. Take time to ask them about their youth, their childhood, the things they did in life or wanted to do. Write it down and remember it so that their memory will never fade.  

I tried to do this with my father in his latter years when I was spending a lot of time with him after my mother died.  I did write down some of his stories and have shared them here in blogland occasionally.  HERE is a link to some of those stories. (that one has 3 parts, and the links are within that link)   Here's another one, Christmas at The Cabin There's more, but I won't list them all here.

Of course, those of us here in Blogland probably know more about each other than some of our closest family members and/or friends.  Why? Because we write about our lives and dreams and hopes and sorrows and silly stuff and things that make us happy and things that make us sad and things that are important to us, and we actually read these things about each other and write comments back to one another and share our lives in a special way. Some of us share pictures of everything we do, what we eat, where we've been, where we'd like to be, the people we love, the things we love...and we take the time to look at those photos and ooh and ahh and appreciate what each other are seeing and doing.  I guess that is why sometimes I feel like my best friends are here in blogland, because you probably know more about me than people I sit next to at church, or people I used to work with, or maybe even my relatives, because to my knowledge, most of those people never read my blog.  (Now we'll find out if that's true or not, because some may suddenly pipe up and say "I read it all the time! I just never tell you!"  LOL. )   Actually, one of my nieces contacted me today and said she had read my last blog about the Peach Dump Cake, and she had some questions about that and also about how we were feeling, and that really blessed my heart and made my day!!

I just asked Google about some scripture verses regarding "old age", and this is the list it gave me:

"The Bible contains many verses about aging, including some that offer comfort and others that encourage respect for the elderly:

• Isaiah 46:4: "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you"
• Psalm 73:26: "Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever"
• Leviticus 19:32: "Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly, and revere your God"
• Job 12:12: "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?"
• Psalm 92:14: "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green"
• Proverbs 23:22: "Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old"
• Job 32:7: "Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age"
• 2 Corinthians 4:16: "That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day"
• Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom"
• Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"

I like that list!  Not sure why I have "old age" on my mind so much today...probably because somedays I am really feeling my "old age" more than others...like this morning the steroids I'm taking gave me a spurt of energy so I went outside and mowed the lawn with the push mower.  I mowed for about 30 minutes, and I've been recovering ever since! LOL.   Me thinks I did more than I should have for still being in recovery mode, but it felt good to get outside (at 9 a.m. before it was terribly hot...still hot, just not as terribly as later) and actually do something!  I came in and took a shower and sat in front of the fan and basically died for about an hour or so, and then it was time to fix lunch and take a nap.  LOL. 

Speaking of old,  when we took a little ride yesterday to go to our walking place, I spied this other Century Plant standing tall and blossoming for all it's worth!  Remember I told you about another one HERE a little while ago.

This one is really amazing and is in full bloom! 

Notice all those "PUPS" around the bottom...new plants that will eventually grow and maybe in another 30-40 years they will bloom too!

"The common name "century plant" stems from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. After flowering, the plant dies but produces adventitious shoots from the base, allowing its growth to continue.[8] Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years.[9] It has a spread around 1.8–3.0 m (6–10 ft) with gray-green leaves measuring 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) in length, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Towards the end of its life, the plant produces a tall, branched stalk adorned with yellow blossoms, which can reach a height of 8–9 m (25–30 ft).  Wikipedia"

Sometimes it takes us to finally be getting towards the end of our lives before we truly stand up and bloom where we are planted...maybe here in Blogland, or wherever the Lord may lead us. The important thing is to let your light shine for God, and leave a legacy behind you that will carry on to the next generation as a witness for what God can do with a life yielded to Him.  Share the wisdom you've gained from life's experiences with others, even if they don't seem to be listening...write it down, put it out there...someone will pick it up and read it and it may change their lives!  

Okay, that's my words of wisdom for today!  Keep writing friends! Your life has much value and is needed in this sad and dark world today.  

• Psalm 92:14: "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green"