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I hate growing older. I’m losing visual acuity, struggling
with aches and pains, fighting obesity, coloring gray hair.
My heart aches for my parents and elderly friends as I watch
them deteriorate. I know my attitude is wrong and comes, in
part, from fear. What will happen to me? Will I become demented?
How will I feel when I’m not “useful” anymore?
Earlier this year, Pat Emery introduced me to a revolution
in long-term care (pp. 16-23), while Sharon Fish Mooney opened
my eyes to see elders differently (pp. 6-14). Their ideas
made me realize my thoughts might not line up with God’s
view of aging (Is 55:7-9).
The Bible reveals that God values aging. Devotion and obedience
to God create usefulness, not age (see Abraham and Sarah in
Genesis 21:2-5; Moses in Deuteronomy 34:7, 10-12; Caleb in
Joshua 14:6-12; Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1; Anna in
Luke 2:36-38). People who follow God are wise in old age (Job
32:7), to be respected and honored (Lev 19:32) and God will
not abandon them (Ps 37:25). Psalm 92:12-15 explains the righteous
will flourish fresh and green, still bearing fruit in old
age.
So why does aging seem like such a crummy deal?
My search took me to a long-time, dear friend. In her 80s,
BJ has faced painful deterioration. We talked about the difference
between our aging bodies and what we read in Scripture. BJ
pointed out that since Genesis 1:1, there has been a beginning
and an end to all things; that for new things to come, old
things must pass away (2 Cor 5:17). She reminded me that as
Christians, our bodies are temporary—a tent we use until
we are given heavenly bodies (2 Cor 5:1-6). She relayed, “My
times are in God’s hands” (Ps 31:15).
But what about life now? We explored Psalm 92, trying to
understand how elders can flourish—full of sap, green,
bearing fruit. We discovered that the allegory of righteous
people as palm and cedar trees (vs 12) fits BJ well. Palms
are long-lived, stately, upright and useful, while cedars
are majestic, stable and durable. Being fresh, green and full
of sap (vs 14) represents spiritual vitality and being rich
in trust, love and contentment. Despite life’s challenges,
BJ speaks with grace and wisdom. Growing old is like “living
in a box; the walls are moving in, and the only way you can
look is up.” Her focus has shifted from what I can
do, to who I can be. Aging has required greater
dependence on God. Life now must be lived in light
of eternity. Death is an “expansion of my horizons,”
where “I will no longer be earth-bound.”
Rather than worrying about “lost independence,”
BJ says she has “planned independence” for
going places or getting things done. Sadly, she feels health
care providers are tired of her, and she has to carefully
advocate for herself. She appreciates nurses who offer assurance,
talk with an adequate volume and offer caring touch.
BJ is a living memorial of God’s character and faithfulness
(vs 15). She remains fresh and green, bearing fruit unique
to old age.
To my amazement, the next day I found research that supports
the outcomes of Psalm 92. Older people have greater emotional
stability, richness, and are better able to experience conflicting
emotions than younger people (having peace in the midst of
fear). Researcher Laura Carstensen concludes, “When cognitive
speed and biological hardiness are on the decline, emotional
functioning may continue to improve.”1 The
research-based theory of gerotranscendence describes the potential
in old age to move away from the materialistic, rational perspective
common in younger life to a transcendent experience with the
self, relationships and cosmic insights.2 Are these
findings about old age akin to the fruits of a righteous life?
As a final point, I discovered a picture of Psalm 92 in nature
called botanical senescence. This is when plant metabolism
shifts from growth to ripening, from life to death, to prepare
for the most fruitful event in the plant’s life cycle—the
harvest of nutritious, delicious fruit.3
I see now that I’ve been focusing on the losses of aging.
The ancient words of Scripture, and now modern research, reveal
a lot more is going on than deterioration. While decline does
happen, the truth is, there is much to treasure about
old age. —KSS.
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