AGING FAITHFULLY
28 Days of Prayer
Missy Buchanan
AGING FAITHFULLY: 28 Days of Prayer
Copyright © 2011 by Missy Buchanan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, write Upper Room Books, 1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.
The Upper Room Web site: www.upperroom.org UPPER ROOM®, UPPER ROOM BOOKS®, and design logos are trademarks owned by The Upper Room®, a ministry of GBOD®, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover image: © Willie B. Thomas/Istockphoto.com http://istockphoto.com Cover design: Left Coast Design, Portland, OR/www.lcoast.com First printing: 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Buchanan, Missy.
Aging faithfully : 28 days of prayer / Missy Buchanan.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8358-1063-0
I. Older people—Prayers and devotions. 2. Aging—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title.
BV4580.B77 2011
242'.65—dc22 2011011193
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
Introduction
How to Use This Book
WEEK 1: ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGES OF AGING
Out of step
Losing interest in life
Same inside
Weary arms
Loss
Invisible
Sunday: Celebrate an acceptance of aging
WEEK 2: FINDING GOD’S PURPOSE IN AGING
Never too old
Spiritually wise
Servant’s heart
Belonging to community
Embracing deep thoughts
Worship and praise
Sunday: Celebrate God’s purpose in aging
WEEK 3: OVERCOMING THE TEMPTATIONS OF AGING
Grumbling
Clinging to your baggage
Night worries
Giving up on life
Getting lost in the messiness
Tainted with bitterness
Sunday: Celebrate victory over temptations
WEEK 4: DISCOVERING THE JOYS OF AGING
Preaching your own eulogy
Answered prayer
Something to laugh about
Right on time
Saving the best for last
Leaving a legacy
Sunday: Celebrate the blessings
Reflection Questions
Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Author
You have heard it said that the only time people get excited about being old is when they are young. There is some truth to that. Many people refuse to talk about aging as if they can somehow prevent it from happening. They want to believe that they will never have to face the harsh realities that sometimes accompany a long life.
How easily we forget that God designed aging! Think about it. God is God. God could have created bodies that never changed beyond young adulthood while we continued to age in years. But that is not God’s way. Once you truly acknowledge that aging is part of God’s plan, you can begin to embrace it as a divine gift.
Each stage of aging offers rich treasures if you choose to mine them. The eyes make all the difference. If your eyes are fixed on the negative images of growing old, you will likely miss the precious nuggets right before you. Fix your eyes on God and you will discover an abiding joy that only comes with a long life.
This book is divided into four weeks, each with a particular theme about aging. Each day’s reading supports the week’s focus with a scripture, a meditation, and a prayer. It concludes with a suggestion for deeper thought or practical application.
Sunday is the time to gratefully celebrate the culmination of the week’s readings. The questions at the end of the book are intended for small-group discussion or as another opportunity for individuals to explore the topics more fully.
Take your time in reading and responding. Let each day’s readings wash over you. Prepare your heart to discover what it is to age joyfully.
Read Psalm 56:3-4.
A woman pulls her chair up close to a computer and peers into the screen. She sees the image of her grandson, an officer in the military, talking to her as though he is sitting across her dining room table instead of in a war zone halfway around the world. Tears suddenly well up.
In another city a grandfather watches restless grandchildren push buttons on their slim, palm-sized electronic gadgets. One child listens to music on a tiny device with thousands of songs at his fingertips. Two send silent messages to friends in other towns, while the youngest searches a handheld apparatus for show times at a movie theater. The older man shrugs his shoulders in bewilderment.
It is not surprising that both these grandparents feel sharp pangs of insecurity. They used to feel smart and savvy. Not anymore. Not with all this fast-changing technology. As much as they marvel at the wonder of it all, they fear becoming hopelessly out of step with the rest of the world.
You may feel the same. No one likes feeling incompetent—not Moses with his speech impediment, not Abraham who thought he was too old to carry out God’s purpose. God chose these men anyway and equipped them for tasks they felt they could not do.
Don’t