Be Now

This is mainly for the ladies…but it applies to men, too.

Have you ever looked at someone older than you…especially a senior-aged woman…and seen something in her that you admire?

When David and I first married, we went on a couple of road trips with his parents and his maternal grandmother, Lillian, who I’ve written about before. When we asked for her opinion on the temperature in the car, or where would she like to eat, or what would she like to do or see, or if she was getting tired, she almost always said, “Everything is just so fine.” The temperature was fine, she was willing to eat wherever we decided, to do whatever we decided, to see whatever we decided, and she was ready to keep going as long as we went. Such an easy travel companion, who was just happy and content to be with her family and to be doing something adventurous.

I told David in those early years, “I hope when I get to be Grandmother’s age, I’m as happy and content and easy to be around as she is” to which David replied, “Well, it doesn’t just happen overnight. You gotta start being that way right now.”

As a new wife, I kinda-sorta took offense to that at the time…I thought he was telling me that I was opinionated, never satisfied, wanting my own way and always wanting the temperature adjusted. Of course, later on, I realized that he was just encouraging me to start practicing and building the habits now that I want to become second-nature to me as a older, senior lady.

Even as a now-older woman (older than 35 years ago) I often see other older women who are active, healthy, still so beautiful, feisty, happy, positive, women of God and I still feel the same way. I then have to ask myself, “Am I practicing any of those characteristics right now?” and if I answer honestly, yes, I am practicing SOME of them, but there are many that I still have so much work to do.

When we lived in Nashville in the mid 80’s, there was an older woman that went to our church (older to me then…she was probably in her late 60’s, maybe early 70’s at that time) that got up early every morning and walked 4 miles. Every. Single. Morning. No. Matter. What. She was fit and active and fun and happy and I thought to myself, “Gosh, I hope I can be that way when I’m her age.”

I’m closer to that style of living than I have been in recent years, but I still have a lot of work to do there.

There’s a beautiful older (and by older, I mean about 15 years older than me) lady in our church right now that is a gentle soul, who has a sweet sense of humor and she and her husband are best friends and they are active and adventurous and they travel and they take their two youngest grand children on long road trips to Disneyland. They are so loving and encouraging and a JOY to be around. David and I are very close to them, and we both look at them and say to each other, “Please, let’s be like that when we get to be their age.”

But as I mentioned, we have to start NOW. If we are waiting for that magic day to come when, all of a sudden, we are “that way,” it ain’t gonna happen.

I was just reminded of this truth again after watching a video about the real-life Miss Clara, Molly Bruno,  from the movie The War Room. I haven’t seen the movie yet (don’t judge) but I do know the basics. The real Miss Clara is an AMAZING prayer warrior. At 91 years of age, she is a power-house pray-er. But I guarantee, she didn’t become that overnight. She’s had years and years of experience with her relationship with Jesus and praying to Him and talking to Him as her best friend.

So ladies, if you want to be an older woman who is healthy, active, fun, funny, gentle-spirited, adventurous, content, happy, energetic, Godly, prayer-warrior, change-maker, good friend, servant-minded, etc. etc. …you have to start now…wherever you are. If things need to change between what is and what you want to be, then start right now.

BE NOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BE THEN.

Don’t say “someday I’ll”…because “Someday Isle” doesn’t exist (nods to you, Bethany). Say, “Today I’ll”…and then do it. Practice those things every single chance you get. Yes, you will mess up…a lot. You won’t get it right every time. But it’s like walking into a strong, cold wind…it may be difficult, but it’s worth every step when you finally get to the warmth.