More Than a Dream Coatნიმუში

TO BE YOUNG AGAIN!

My desire to have a little stone cottage by a crystal blue lake soon evolves into making plans to get it. My mind spins as I do extravagant calculations to fit my dream into our financial resources.

You see, the problem is that I don’t have much time left to start a whole new lifestyle. I am at the age where my children are leaving for university and starting their own new lives. So the part of the dream where I raise my children in these idyllic surroundings has already passed for good. And then, once again, I recognize feelings of envy towards the people who live in the beautiful little house. How lucky to have these opportunities at such a young age!

In Joseph’s story, his youthful appearance also became the source of Potiphar’s wife’s desires. “ ...Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. ‘Come and sleep with me,’ she demanded” (Genesis 39:6-7, NLT). We don’t know how old Potiphar was when he purchased Joseph. But the fact that he was a senior officer and captain in Pharaoh’s guard suggests that the years may have started to take their toll. And what better way to soothe the nagging reality of aging than to be found attractive by a good-looking young man?

Today, this secret jealousy of the next generation’s youth and endless possibilities still rears its head in various unhealthy ways. Parents pressure their children into making their own lost dreams come true. Billions of dollars are being spent by young and old alike to hide wrinkles or other signs of aging. And the elderly are mocked and discarded without recognizing that we will all be in their shoes sooner than we think.

Sadly, our feelings of envy towards younger people are often rooted in regrets over missed opportunities in our youth. In the process, we refuse to learn from our children and become overly critical of all they attempt to do. Even the church can become stuck due to the older generations’ superior attitudes. Even in the early stages of church history, Paul had to warn Timothy against the intimidating, watchful eyes of the elders. “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12, NLT).

How do you feel about your current stage of life? Do you think that regrets over missed opportunities may impact your behavior or decisions? What can you do to make the most of each day, regardless of your age?

Let us embrace the beauty of life in every season without looking back. And let us ask the Lord to show us the wonderful plans He still has for our future. “Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken… For then the dust will return to the earth and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, NLT).