How To Shine Some Brass in the Golden Years

Yes, the golden years have more brass often than we counted on. But brass can be polished to a lovely shine. Brass is still a useful metal, if not a precious one. Believing lies about who we are quickly tarnishes many silver saints!

Kate Megill’s blog piece posed a challenging question: Do Lies Keep you from Living in Victory? It’s a good read, and yes, I am piggy-backing on it, since those silly lies, those faith-shaking, heart-breaking lies don’t go away with age.

Lies can be particularly debilitating for us seasoned citizens too.

You’d think I’d recognize them – but no: I go three-quarters of the way down the stupid rabbit trail too often before I get out my lamp.

Not all lamps are Brass!

The lies that wake me up at night; that that keep me from doing what is right; that can paralyze me from just getting on with the day are variations of those Kate suggested, and rebutted with Scripture.

The lies that rob me of charm I can’t afford to lose include:

You are over the hill;

Your best days are behind you;

You are a burden.

And if I avoid those lies, the one that trips me up is

Oh! the TIMES   have never been so bleak, bad, hard and terrifying.

But the pastor reminded me from his exposition of Psalm 116, I am not as alone as I fear. In that Psalm, the writer shows me how to stay engaged, open and compassionate if I know my heart is still beating. Here’s how I polished all the brass today – and Lord willing will do tomorrow:

1. I may be over the hill – but Thank God I made it this far, right?

            Let’s celebrate! ~ Psalm 118:24-25

2. I may have more memories than I do future plans. However, if I have a pulse – and I still know it — I have a plan! And I will run off today’s path if I keep driving with my eyes on the rear-view mirror!

So, every time I look in a mirror . . . I have something to do today – QUIT moaning for starters!

                  An aging body need not shelter a withered soul. ~ Psalm 92:13-15

3. The burden I am – or the burden a loved one has become — is not heavier than the one Lord bore on His way to Calvary.

Note: He’s offered to help me with mine, your too. ~ Matthew 11:28-30

Finally:

4. Yep – the times are freakier that I could have imagined. The lunatics truly are running the asylum! Or, maybe I am just waking up to the reality the world I cherish so much isn’t impressed with the infinite personal God who created and sustains it and me – and thee. A brass lamp shines in the darkness as well as a golden one!

The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it. ~ Will Foley

How to Shine BRASS