Emotions can either get in the way or motivate us to make a move, to change the direction we are going in, to reach towards a worthy cause or goal. Emotions and pain tell us something. They tell us there’s a problem, a need, an issue to be addressed. In the last two weeks, we talked about senior citizens being unresolved in body and mind. Today we are going to be talking about being unresolved – being stuck – in spirit. I am using the terms spirit and emotions interchangeably. 

Sometimes we feel down and we don’t know why. Sometimes we do. Personally, I do not want emotions to influence my decisions. I do not want to be stuck in a feeling, or in a state of uncertainty. When this happens, I am unable to focus on what I need to do and am not able to process thoughts. That is a very frustrating state to be in. When that happens, I just need to stop, regroup, and move on. The battle here is not mental, but spiritual. Even as I was typing this, I was losing focus.

To overcome this obstacle, we need to get our eyes on Jesus and His words. Jesus, help me to focus. Lord, I need Your help, I need Your help in body, mind, and spirit. This is the prayer that I am saying right now as I type this, and this is my prayer for you as well. I am praying Eph. 3:16 for all of us, that “He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” 

It is possible to get out of this unresolved state by calling on Jesus, by seeking Him, by allowing Him to move in our spirit and change our hearts. We can act on what we know and keep seeking to know Him – personally, intimately, deeply, in the same way, that He knows and loves us. That’s not religious talk, because that would not help. That is a practical step we can take right now – talk to Jesus. Pour your heart out to Him, and let Him pour His heart into you.

Last week, we talked about senior citizens being unresolved in their body, that there were some things that were uncertain, unfinished, in transition. These medical issues can be the source of great stress for those of us on the senior side of life. But physical issues are not the only factors of aging that cause us problems as we get older.

For this writing, we are focusing on the mind. Seniors, at least this senior, definitely has issues with memory. “Senior moments” are familiar to me. In fact, I had one as I was doing this writing today. I am developing my writing skills by writing for three different websites, this being one of them. I opened up a tab to start working on this post. Then I got to thinking about writing for Saturday’s post on another site, that one dealing with worship. The end result is that I almost posted a piece about worship on this site! Talk about a senior moment!

Sometimes our mental struggles cause us to laugh, sometimes to cry, and sometimes to shake our fists in anger and frustration. But there’s more to the story

While we are unresolved in body and mind, there is one area we can have great security and resolution in, that being our faith. As a Christian, I have the assurance that God, my creator, loves me and has a plan for my life. If you give your life to Him, you can have that same peace. There is great security in knowing Jesus. Do you know Him? 

Senior Citizens are unresolved. That means they are not finished. They are in transition, going from one place to another. They are in the middle. The term “middle age” gives some hint of their status as seniors. 

As I get older, I am discovering more and more things that I don’t understand, especially the changes in my body. Sudden chills that last for a few minutes, then they are gone; suddenly starting to sweat on my forehead, which lasts for about a minute, then I feel better. I do not understand my body. It is weird. It is well loved and cared for, but it is still weird at times. It just doesn’t make sense. There is definitely a slow down in some areas. I could go on and give more specifics, but you get the idea. Like teenagers, our bodies are changing and we don’t quite know what to do with all that.

What I find comforting as a Christian is that there is more to life than the physical. When the body is in pain, or slow, or confusing, I have an anchor in Christ I can hang on to.  I am secure in Christ. Its true that my spiritual life is inconsistent, that I am growing in faith and obedience, that God is not done with me yet. That’s a good thing, because there is a lot of work to do in that area. But God is doing that work. 

So when the confusing times come, and they will, when I am tired and my mind does not want to work, I am very resolved in this one thing – Jesus loves me, and I belong to him. He is leading me and helping me through these changes, these transitions, these unresolved moments, and He will finish the work He started. As Philippians 2:13 says, 
“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.“

May we ask God to lead us through the changes of life and bring us safely to be with Him in the end. By His grace and in His name I pray.Amen.

Don’t Miss the Gift

“There’s a package at the door! I need to get that package!”
Don’t miss the gift.
“I ordered your present online. They said it should be here tomorrow.”

Don’t miss the gift.

“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Don’t miss the gift.

“He came into His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him, he gave them the right to become children of God.”

Don’t miss the gift.

The gift is not under the tree this Christmas. The gift is on the tree.

The gift is not wrapped with ribbon and bow. It is wrapped with blood and with grace.

The gift was not bought with cash, credit, or debit. The gift was bought with the blood of the Lamb.

The gift is not about money or power or prestige. It is not about control. It is not about dominance or authority or chain of command.

The gift is Jesus, hanging on the cross in extreme pain, isolated, alone, bleeding, and with one thought in mind – “I have to finish my Father’s mission. I have to pay the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. My Father loved the world so much that He sent me to pay this price so that they could have eternal life with me and through me. They may never know this deep down, but it is still true that You loved them enough to send me. I loved them enough to come. Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

Don’t miss the gift. The gift of Jesus. The gift of eternal life. The gift of forgiveness and grace and mercy. The gift is free to us and costly to Jesus. It is wrapped in love and received in the heart. If you realize the need, Jesus is the solution. God is the giver and Jesus is the gift. For the sake of your eternal soul and your deepest needs, please don’t miss the gift!

At the time of this writing, it is one week before Christmas 2018. As I am writing this, I am thinking about the meaning of Christmas. For some it is a ‘wonderful time of the year.’ The image of Christmas is usually one of Santa Claus, presents, a Christmas tree, and of course children going nuts running around the room and tearing open presents. To some, that is what makes Christmas so special. It’s what ‘makes Christmas’ for them. They look at the lights, the decorations, the smiling faces, the way people look after each other more than usual – hot meals, shelter, clothes, toys. They look at the colors and say ‘this looks Christmasy’ (Is that even a word?)

Others have a more cynical or sad view.  For some this is a tough time of year. It reminds them of what used to be, of who used to be there and no longer is, of what we used to possess and no longer do. For some, Christmas is just like any other day.  It is sad. It is cynical. It’s not even real to some people. Others can celebrate if they want to, but they are not going to. As Billy says in “The Polar Express” movie, “Christmas just doesn’t work out for me.”

Does it work out for you? Can you relate? Has your view of Christmas changed over time? I know it has for me. As a kid, my focus was on the presents I was going to get. Which ones had my name on it? How many did I get. Did I get any extra ones? You know the drill. Maybe you have been there. Maybe not. Some Christmases are better than others for us. We have seasons in our lives.

Things turned around for me as a teenager when I gave my life to Christ. I asked him to forgive of my sins and come into my heart. I gave him control over my life. Since that day, I have grown closer to Him, and I am starting to realize more and more that He loves me and wants to spend time with me. He still has work to do in my heart and in my life, and He will continue it until ‘the day of Jesus Christ.’ 

This Christmas, I want to focus more on Jesus and what He has already given and done for me since I gave my life to him in 1969. Jesus is real. His love is real. His presence is real. His holiness is real. This Christmas, I want to honor Him for who He is, and what He has done in my life.

Have you given your life to Jesus? Have you let Him reach down to your deepest hurts and longings? How about giving Him a present this Christmas. Give Him your heart. Seasons change, but He never will. He is faithful to the end.

Merry Christmas to all who read this post.