Tonight Barbara Walters will air a special program on ABC Television that details the latest scientific research on the human body and why it is that we should see many more people in the near future living past 100 years, even to 150 years.
It may be an interesting report but it raises the question, “Why would anyone want to live so long?”
As I’ve shared before, when I was about 21 years old I was engaged in a time of prayer and reflecting on life in God’s presence when I sensed Him prompt me to pray a prayer. I sensed that God wanted me to pray and ask Him to give me 120 years of life. I’ve been praying that prayer for 31 years.
When I was in my twenties and someone in their senior years learned that I was praying that prayer they would always, 100% of the time, make this comment: “Son, why would you want to live that long?”
Now that I’m older I get it that in many ways it becomes more difficult to do life because:
a. Life’s aches and pains are annoying. The body does begin to break down.
b. Life’s culture increasingly favors and celebrates youth and casts the elderly aside.
But the major factor that I’ve observed through the years that has diminished the desire to live 90-120 years is a lack of vision. If life is about earning a living until one is 65 and then retiring to leisure and hobbies then I’d pray, “God, let me die and go to heaven.” Leisure is not compelling enough for me to press through elderly aches and pains and culture’s devaluing of my life.
However, if I have a vision, if I have a reason, if I have a call from God concerning how He wants to use my life in the advance years, then I want to serve and make a difference until I have no more breath.
My planning to live until I’m 120 impacts my decisions about health, relationships, education/learning, use of time and life pacing. I don’t think that I’m guaranteed 120 years and if I died tomorrow I’d be happy to leave this world and go to the next. But the vision I have for 120 years has become a guiding/driving/compelling force in me that I didn’t realize would be so important when I was 21.
What if God gives you 90, 100 or more years? What would you do with it? Why would it matter?
It may be an interesting report but it raises the question, “Why would anyone want to live so long?”
As I’ve shared before, when I was about 21 years old I was engaged in a time of prayer and reflecting on life in God’s presence when I sensed Him prompt me to pray a prayer. I sensed that God wanted me to pray and ask Him to give me 120 years of life. I’ve been praying that prayer for 31 years.
When I was in my twenties and someone in their senior years learned that I was praying that prayer they would always, 100% of the time, make this comment: “Son, why would you want to live that long?”
Now that I’m older I get it that in many ways it becomes more difficult to do life because:
a. Life’s aches and pains are annoying. The body does begin to break down.
b. Life’s culture increasingly favors and celebrates youth and casts the elderly aside.
But the major factor that I’ve observed through the years that has diminished the desire to live 90-120 years is a lack of vision. If life is about earning a living until one is 65 and then retiring to leisure and hobbies then I’d pray, “God, let me die and go to heaven.” Leisure is not compelling enough for me to press through elderly aches and pains and culture’s devaluing of my life.
However, if I have a vision, if I have a reason, if I have a call from God concerning how He wants to use my life in the advance years, then I want to serve and make a difference until I have no more breath.
My planning to live until I’m 120 impacts my decisions about health, relationships, education/learning, use of time and life pacing. I don’t think that I’m guaranteed 120 years and if I died tomorrow I’d be happy to leave this world and go to the next. But the vision I have for 120 years has become a guiding/driving/compelling force in me that I didn’t realize would be so important when I was 21.
What if God gives you 90, 100 or more years? What would you do with it? Why would it matter?
1 comment:
There is so much beauty in the world. I can see all the ugly crap if I want to but I would rather take my sick self and kick a heavy bag walk, ride a bike, swim and run when I can. I want to read all of Shakespeare. I record music, write music 7 help people. They say the good die young but that is bull crap. People who are ugly inside are not living no matter how old they get. Think about what is left on the planet that is glorious, kinky and mind expanding. Love life!
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