and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it." --- Ecclesiastes 7:12
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Four years ago I began skipping a substantial evening meal, using lunchtime for that, instead. Why? Because of a general discomfort (nothing major) when I'd slip into bed at night. Who wants to take forever to fall asleep?
Problem solved. Well, as long as I'd eat only a small snack after lunch between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, call it done, then have nothing else. Nothing. Else.
Yeah, some days, being a mere mortal, it's ultra tempting to cheat. Er hem.
Anyway. I chalked this up to another one of those oh-so-merry adjustments one must make as she goes old lady ages.
Then beginning in 2023, if I eat too large of a lunch, well, oh dear. I suffer for it upon falling into bed. Wow. Major stomach issues. Nausea. Bleh. I can swallow my trusty Slippery Elm pill and an acidolphulus one, but still. (I'll spare you the sad, sorry-eyed details.)
And if I also consumed suddenly-I-can't-handle-foods like onions, hot sauce, salmon, jalapenos? Oh wow. Perfect storm for a stomach ache from heck.
Gah.
Eventually this came to me: it's as though God, Himself, gave me (unasked-for) one of those let's-shrink-your-stomach surgeries.
Seriously. Unexpectedly, my stomach shrank (it feels like) and boy, how it punishes me if it stretches even a tad. Not with heartburn, just with this nauseating, dull ache.
Now let me be clear, lest anyone worry. When I follow all these new rules, have a tiny breakfast, a sensible lunch and an afternoon snack, hey! I'm fine. Healthy, all Life-is-incredible! And I sleep great.
But when I try to ignore this new Debra and pretend she's 30 again? Forget it. It's suffer in the dark time.
Why share this? Well, because it's hardly likely I'm the only one to experience this 'free surgery from God.' Often over the years I've read senior citizens usually eat less the older they become.
So if this is also you, you've got company. You're not alone. And if you're having a difficult time accepting this, dare I say 'annoying challenge'? You're not alone in that, either.
Lately Tom and I, no longer the frolicking youngsters we once were, are making changes. Many. Changes. And we're trying to view each challenge as an interesting one to conquer, rather than whine, groan, complain or--Heaven forbid--ignore.
Ignoring the challenges of growing older? Not a good long-term plan. Not wisdom, either.
But with God who knows everything about the aging bodies of seniors? It's all very doable by following His instructions, obeying Him, especially when we'd rather pretend we can live as we once did.
"Despising something that has changed and will never go back to its previous condition is a waste of time. It can make a person bitter and resentful, but it doesn't have to if you choose to embrace it and let it become your new normal.
Joyce Meyer from her book, How to Age Without Getting Old
Sometimes Life just is what it is. What remains is to face the challenges with a brave heart and find other solutions, substitutions and make different choices.
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Earlier I shared at Facebook how I decided just not to open a too hard to loosen glass jar lid. Too hard on my wrist.
A friend from high school, Debbie, said her sister uses something like an old-fashioned coke bottle opener, though it's larger, to break the seal and it always works.
I thought hey! I'll try that with my old bottle opener in the drawer. Oh my goodness. Why didn't I know about this decades ago? All it takes to open any jar now is for me to slip the pointy tip under the lid, pull up, then break the seal.
Just thought I'd pass that along.
Yesterday we watched the sports movie, When The Game Stands Tall. Highly recommended (and how didn't we watch this years ago?)
And we loved Anthony Hopkins' new film, One Life, a very timely film, considering Today's hate-filled riots. Both these movies were based on true stories. Love those.
House Tour: A Charming 400 sq. foot studio apartment in NYC. (I really enjoyed listening to her share her stories.)
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And guess what? Next year my sister will be in an episode or two of The Chosen. She drove to Utah last month and was an extra in the filming of the Holy Week episodes. Cool, right?
She's always up for adventures and in her heavenly book of details which God keeps, Corrine's book will probably contain 5 million whereas mine will have around 1,000. heh.
But that's ok! We're both having good times following the Life plans God mapped out for us. And that's what matters.
Growing older? Remember--you're also growing kinder and wiser as you allow God to teach and remold you.
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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15
