God's Solutions for Today's Problems #18

Our passage from the Word of God today is Psalms 71:9. It reads, "Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth."

Our quote for today is from Henry Ward Beecher. He said, “To all who find their days declining, to all upon whom age is creeping with its infirmities, to all whose strength seems steadily to ebb....God seems to take our last things, and as it were, pack them up for our journey. These are tokens that you are approaching land. They are signs that the troubles of the sea are almost over.â€

Our problem today is "The Problem of Aging in Your Life" (part 1) from the book, "The Guide to Biblical Counseling" by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Ron Hawkins.

Will and Marilyn had married late and had kids even later. With their kids entering adolescence, they were confronted with the possibility of becoming caregivers for Marilyn's widowed mother after she fell, breaking her hip.

Sarah served as a frequent volunteer for years, ever since retiring from the school district. But her health has been failing recently and she's not sure how much longer she can live alone.

Edward is a widower and has cancer that has spread to his liver. A church member has expressed concern over his living conditions, believing that he has not been caring for himself properly.

Now, we will discuss some Definitions and Key Thoughts regarding Aging:

- Aging is a natural process. The rate at which people age varies widely according to many factors, such as family history, emotional attitude, chronic medical conditions, and lifestyle.

- Although the risk of disability and illness increases with age, poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Persons with healthy lifestyles that include regular exercise, balanced diet, and no tobacco use have half the risk for disability as those with less then healthy lifestyles.

- Caring for aging parents can be gratifying, but that depends on a lot of complex issues, such as your own health, whether you are still raising children, your financial resources, and your emotional resilience. Even though being a caregiver is laudable, it is not necessarily the wisest decision if there are other options.

- The "sandwich years" refers to the period of middle age when people are often still raising children and are also caring for their parents. They are "sandwiched" between these two generations, and it can feel like either a vice grip or a well-coordinated dance.

- As people age, the idiosyncrasies tend to become more pronounced. Easygoing people may continue to be laid back, but those who were uptight at a younger age may become more anxious or paranoid as they age.

- Persons entering their later years experience many transitions and endure many losses, such as retirement; moving from parenthood to grandparenthood; lessened physical abilities, strength, and energy; the deaths of friends and peers; lowered social status; a tighter financial budget; and the loss of a spouse.