I have never been fond of this particular passage, but I find myself contemplating it this morning. On January 1 of this year I woke with sciatica, a condition I have had before. I made some adjustments to my physical activity, including daily stretching, and that has helped enormously. This practice has even nurtured a sense that even I can be a person of discipline. I have been experiencing enough success that I was beginning to think of sciatica as a thing of the past. Well, until yesterday when it flared once again. I think the message this time is that I probably need to become lighter on my feet - the less weight I carry, the more comfortable I can be. The time has come to pay attention to what I am eating and drinking. I think there is no getting around the narrow gate that is ahead, and it will take some maturity to get through it.
However, thanks to a small book of reflections entitled, Pilgrimage into the Last Third of Life by Jane Marie Thibault and Richard L. Moran, I am feeling more encouragement than discouragement. Many of us in our youth embarked upon the journey of our lives with the sense that anything could happen; there would no boundary that could hold us back for long. However, as we approached our middle years, most of us set down a least a few roots to work on careers and tend to families. We learned tenacity as we weathered various storms. We may not have felt invincible, but we were feeling pretty darned strong.
Yet, about the time we settle in, the third phase of our life begins to make itself known. We begin to reflect on the past. What did we do well? What did we not do so well? For some, health concerns begin. While it is easy to get discouraged, it is here where we can turn and begin the pilgrimage - the pilgrimage to God. We have been on this journey our whole lives, but in the last third of our lives, we are given a chance to get more focused. We let some possessions go, and may find ourselves moving into smaller homes or senior communities. We usually do become more disciplined, often out of necessity as our bodies change. There are rewarding moments, but also times of profound loss. All of these can bring us closer to God, but we do have to let ourselves accept these changes.
The good news is that God's love is the expansiveness that we yearned for in our youth, and it is worth going through that narrow gate to continue the journey. Each stage of our lives brings both joys and challenges, and we are shaped by both. Regardless, God is always there. That is true whether we are playing with grandchildren in the park, or sitting in the hall of skilled nursing.
Let us not waste this precious pilgrimage time, cowering in fear, hiding our age, clinging to outdated youthful images. The only gate that awaits is the gate of love, and however narrow our passage may be, we will all get through. We have the promise of the Good Shepherd, who assures us no one will be left behind, and this I do believe. Let us go together.
Blessed be.
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