Yesterday in a skilled nursing community, I read from Matthew 4:18 where Jesus called some fishermen, soon to be the first disciples, to put down their nets and follow him. According to the text, they heard; they dropped what they were doing, and they followed. That, of course, was only the beginning. They continually had to begin again. Jesus was always leading them into a new way of thinking and being. I believe this is a key to aging well. We must be willing to set aside how we have always led our lives. We are being called into a new way of being. The further we journey, the deeper the metamorphosis.
Last night in a tumble of dreams, the phrase, "Turn green," kept surfacing. Those words may have something to do with the idea of beginning each day anew. Even as we age, we start afresh each day. We are tempted to think of aging as turning dry and brittle. Yet, if we look through the eyes of the heart, we may see that there are moments in each day that are as tender and green as new grass.
It is for us
to train our hearts
to live in grace,
to sacrifice our
self-centered desires
to find the peace
without want
without seeking it
for ourselves,
and when we fail,
to begin again
each day.
John McQuiston II
Everyone has to be open to being formed again. The only thing that can possibly deter the new formation is if we ourselves refuse to let go of what was. If we cling to the past, the future is closed to us.
The Rule of Benedict, Joan Chittister, O.S.B.
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