“If in my youth I had realized that the sustaining splendour of beauty of with which I was in love would one day flood back into my heart, there to ignite a flame that would torture me without end, how gladly would I have put out the light in my eyes.” Michelangelo

TODAY IS TBT SO HERE’S ONE FROM SEVEN YEARS AGO. ART BY PAUL BOECHER.

When you’re in the prime of life, you’ve probably come close to achieving masterpiece status.  Your body is in pretty good condition.  Your life is on the right track.  Your finances are in decent shape.  Your relationships have been established and if you’re fortunate, you’ve come to grips with who God is and the plan He has for your life.

When you go beyond those years, things start to fall apart.  Your aging body requires more help to get out of bed..  Your memory fails and so do many of your senses.  You are probably close to or in retirement.  Your finances have shrunk and that small nest egg you had is dwindling by the second.  Your friends are passing you by on the way to heaven.  Your goals have all been achieved and you may even begin to wonder why you’re still here.

God has a purpose for each and every one of us – regardless of our physical age.  He created each one with unique talents, abilities, strengths, dreams and more. We are not merely cloned, cookie cutter pressed out and sent through an assembly line.  Finding out what those qualities are sometimes takes a long time to figure out.

When we reach these elder years, we have more time.  We can use that time to wallow in self-pity or put it to positive energy instead.  If we’re still capable of working, we should.  If we find ourselves on a track to nowhere, we should fill our lives with something that can still be useful.  We can’t give up simply because our bodies are aging.

I really believe that the older generation has so much to offer this world.  Our years of life experience can’t be measured by college degrees.  We have attained a lifetime of treasure which can be shared with those younger than us.  We’ve suffered through many of the things those younger ones are suffering right now.  We can be of more service than we realize when it comes to encouraging others.

Putting things in perspective – we only have a short time left to make a difference in this world.  Every waking moment should be spent in giving back in one way or another.  God’s work is always good and you are one of His masterpieces.