AGING WITH GRACE - Chapter 2 ANNA

 

This book AGING WITH GRACE has opened our minds to the realization that just because we don’t have as much of a focus now that our families are grown or our daily work has ended, that there is more to this stage of life than we might have realized. 

Many of us are experiencing a definite change in our bodies: we don’t move as fast as we once did, or we tire easily, or we’re needing a joint replaced.   We also realize that not everyone has the same concerns whether they be physical or social, but the one commonality we have is that we want to FLOURISH, but need some direction. 

PSALM 92 is our focus for this study, verses 12 – 14.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.

We, Women of Fellowship & Study, have declared that we want to Flourish and Thrive, in this older stage of life. We want to celebrate who we are now.  Its OK to look back at our earlier life, decisions we made, difficult times we went through, but now we are going to thank the LORD for all He has blessed us with to get us to this point.

REVIEW:

CHAPTER 1 “Wonder and Worship” write your own statement of Grace.  Remember that an acronym for GRACE is: God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense.

A Statement of GRACE is unique to each person.  Here’s mine: I have been married for nearly 38 years.  We are blessed with 5 children between us, 14 grands, 6 great-grands!

Here's my Crown of Glory (Prov 16:33) piece from my art journal.  Do you journal?   This book has given me the beginnings of using my coloring to share the scriptures that are making a difference for me on any given day.    Get a blank journal at the thrift store or use a new notebook.  Put pen or pencil to paper and start.  

What is your Statement of GRACE?

There’s so much truth, hope and scripture in each chapter, so I hope you are able to read your own copy of AGING WITH GRACE by Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt.   You can listen to programming by these women at the Revive Our Hearts women's ministry website, or on YouTube.   You can find the book on Amazon.   You won’t be disappointed if you are in the “Afternoon of Life” and yearning to find more in this stage of life.

Psalm 92:2 tells us that it is good to start each day declaring God’s steadfast love and Faithfulness to us.   This word translated from Hebrew is HESED (page 34-35).  It is a “big” word in the Old Testament, and found 250 times.

To summarize what I believe HESED – God’s steadfast love or lovingkindness means: God's deep goodness expressed in his covenant (promise) commitment, his absolute loyalty, his obligating of himself to bring to fruition the blessings that He has promised, whatever it may cost Him personally to do that. (Sinclair Ferguson)

Our sin can never out-distance God's Steadfast love and faithfulness.

The explanation is of God's deep and lasting love for each of us sinners, but how do we continue to be faithful to Him when we are encountering changes in our lifestyles or daily activities?

The answer is this: to be faithful to seek the Lord, to read His Word, to join in fellowship with other believers, to proclaim His love together - worship.

Did you know that WORSHIP is more than gathering as a community of believers, singing praises, reading scripture, and learning from His Word.   WORSHIP is time spent with the Lord, honoring Him by doing activities that glorify Him, that follow His plan for your life. 

From Bible Hub: Worship is not confined to a location or ritual. Romans 12:1 describes presenting one’s body as a “living sacrifice” as a form of spiritual worship, emphasizing that everyday life can be an act of worship.

We often hear hunters say that being outdoors is worshiping the LORD in His creation.  I have experienced that one time in my life.  

If you are cleaning your home, doing laundry, cooking a meal – that is honoring Him.   If you are taking care of a child or caring for a parent, or helping with a sick friend, that is worshiping the Lord. 

Think of other ways that you can worship the Lord in your daily life.

CHAPTER 2 ANNA – Living Intentionally

The story of ANNA is found in LUKE 2:25-38. This chapter begins with the concept that we are all afraid that we will be cast aside or left alone in our aging years. God meets this deep need that we have by this promise:

“I will be your God, You will be my people, and I will dwell among you”

(Jer 7:23, 31:33, 32:38; Ezek 37:23)

Anna plays a small part in the narrative of the birth of our Savior.   She was a young widow after only 7 years of marriage and until she was 84.  

Think about your life, and a time when you have experienced loss.  Was it the loss of a child? Was your loss part of a career change that affected your income level? Did you experience a change in lifestyle because of a health issue?   Did you lose a chunk of your life because you cared for a parent or a child with disabilities, or a difficult marriage or divorce?

When we have lived through such difficult times, we may have felt the same emotion that Anna felt to be a widow at such a young age. I know how I felt.  The times never seemed to get better.  I remember a time when my garage door broke on top of my car, and on the same day that my pipes froze in my house.  There were no words to say, I was past the point of being upset.  I had to call in to work.   A friend, who seemed to have more faith than ever, suggested to tell God everything I was feeling – to cry out to Him!  But I thought that was so disrespectful!  Yet, what did I have to lose.   These incidents were the beginning of my crying out to the Lord, crying, and having some very heartfelt conversations with Him.   Now my life didn’t suddenly change, and there was an end to difficulties.   But now I began to talk to the Lord, to seek Him to find help.

After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph take Him to the temple at the time of purification.  There, two people have a role in Jesus life.  These two people Simeon and Anna. Make sure to read about Simeon's faith, and Anna.  They were both advanced in age, yet their age did not stop them from waiting for the Messiah. These two older people’s lives intersected with Mary and Joseph and Jesus just at the right moment. (page 48)

In our in-person Women's Fellowship/Study discussions last week, two women were sharing details of their lives growing up.  They had never met, but through conversation, they discovered they were 2nd cousins!

                                            

This is a photo of my new transplant poppy.   I planted it about 3 years ago, but it didn't bloom till October that year.   I cut the stem, brought it in so it wouldn't freeze, set it in the west window, like you see here, and it bloomed.  This poppy was planted by the wind as it is the color of my poppies from the front yard.  It also didn't bloom till later in the summer, almost fall, this year.  I brought this poppy inside too. Although this is a very simple comparison, I'm blessed by this transplant, blooming late in the season. 

Do you ever stop to wonder about being in the right place at the right time?   Sometimes those moments help us to remember that it’s the little occurrences that are the big blessings.

Have you had an experience where you were convinced that the LORD our God has put you and someone else together for a unique specific purpose? 

Anna must have had hopes and dreams of her own, but now they were shattered by the untimely death of her husband. In that culture, her son would have taken care of her, but there is no mention of a son: he could have ignored her, he could have died, or she may not have had any children.  Anna was vulnerable and alone.  Since there’s not much information shared about her life, we don’t know if she turned to the LORD immediately or if she came to know the LORD sometime later. (AWG)

                                                                               This from Isaiah, and a visual, like this watercolor print I made, is often what I need to remember the LORD's promises. 

PAGE 50, 51– “Sometimes the journey through suffering is dark and long. Sometimes the distractions and despair are overwhelming. Anna had reason to despair, but she chose to learn what it meant to worship in this darkness, and find the hope that God would indeed keep His promises.”

Have you experienced this type of loss?

In Matthew, 14:6-12, Jesus learns of the death of John the Baptist; that he was beheaded.   Jesus plans to go away from the crowds to be alone, but the people follow Him and instead of turning them away, so that He could mourn, He ministers to the people instead.

Have you ever pushed through your sorrow or grief, to help someone else?  Doing so seems insurmountable, to reach out to someone when you are in such a sad frame of mind.   But somehow reaching out brings you a joy you didn’t expect or even realize you needed. 

So even though we know as we mature and age that we will experience grief and loss, the HOPE is that we will experience eternal JOY through our relationship with the LORD, which will sustain us through our suffering, though temporary.

ANNA chose widowhood as her platform to glorify God.  She saw her widowhood as a tool, as an opportunity to share her faith with others.

Ask yourself these questions:

Will Hopelessness or hopelessness take up residence in my heart? (Will I stay in my feelings of loss and ask God why He has forgotten me?)

Will I live with the expectation of seeing Jesus someday? (Will I experience joy now instead of thinking it will only come in the end?)

Will I wait with frustration? (What will my daily mood be like, and in relationship to others?)

Will I A.B.I.D.E. in Jesus? (John 15 is The Vine and the Branches:  ABIDE is: Accept Pruning   Believe in His Word  Identify False Vines   Delight in Jesus    Endure Joy)

Let's consider our view of aging and how that impacts our daily choices.

Retirement = best years, more income, bucket list check offs, and doing all the things we never had time for   OR

Retirement = survive the losses, the changes in income, the loneliness, the empty house, feeling useless

HOW do we Flourish with these feelings taking control?   How do we live a long life?

ANSWER: We live intentionally by following the map that God has put before us.  We FLOURISH in our advanced years, by making a point, living intentionally despite the challenges of old age that frighten us. 

                                                           

For some reason, I'm always drawn to flowers that look unique. See that petal that is sticking out?  Perhaps the petal is not as odd as you might think. Instead of referring to it as "the one that sticks out", that petal could get your attention to look a little closer to the whole flower, or even the whole flower bed. Maybe that's what we are hoping for when we get to the "Afternoon of Life," when we fear that we will be set aside or forgotten.    Nowhere does God diminish the value of the elderly (page 55).

To live intentionally we need to see the value in reading God’s word daily, to be in His presence, to KNOW Him and all the sweet promises He has for us.    

END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS from Aging with Grace

1)       Why do you read the Bible?

2)        Give your idea of the Biblical view of aging and how does that compare to what you believe or believed before you read AGING WITH GRACE?

3)       What is one event in your life that you can see where God is working in you, and to encourage others?

4)        What difference might you make in your life to embrace your loss in your everyday life or in your interactions with others?

Thanks for joining us today in CHAPTER 2 ANNA, of AGING WITH GRACE.   Make time to listen to the discussions on Revive our Hearts by the authors and find their ministry videos on YouTube.

Be Blessed! sb