Being Elderly

TUES., JULY 6, 1999, 9:44 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Yes, o son, you do qualify as one of the world’s elderly. In some countries and cultures you would definitely be among the old, while in others you would qualify, but barely. You were a teacher and professor for 48 years, which is more than an average working life in your culture. You are becoming quite comfortable with this designation and status… as you should.

The culture of which you are a part has a bit of a hard time in valuing its elderly. For it is a changing, dynamic culture that encourages (up to demanding) adaptation and learning new ways. You are pleased with the eras in which you have lived, and, as a younger person you were a good adapter. You took opportunities that arose, and you created others.

Yet you realize you are losing such adaptive capacities AND the desire to develop new capacities and skills. The most obvious at this time is learning to use the Web TV and the email it can produce. I have told you it is not a necessity for you. Learn how and become proficient if you want to, but I am not pressing for such development and change. It is good that son John Patrick has such skills and motivations. Let him do this “portion” of the “ministry.”

It is bothersome… and sad… to lose certain bodily functions. You, like most elderly folk, are not… and will not be… like the fictional Deacon’s One Hoss Shay, with everything working perfectly until… complete collapse. It was this way with son Michael, but you are one still alive and aging gradually, while his collapse was in the prime of his life, thereby losing the opportunities you are having to live into the elderly years. And, yes, there are advantages in each “course” of earth life.

It is good, you find, to have fewer responsibilities and fewer tasks that MUST be done in a certain time frame. You wouldn’t want to be without any such calls on yourself… but… there is a certain attractiveness to such a life. You no longer are the Newsletter Editor. It feels good not to have that monthly task, but there is also some sadness in losing that medium of communication. I hear you saying, to yourself, at least, that you’ll remain Clerk of Session for your remaining term, helping an Interim Pastor and perhaps even a new Installed Pastor. You write good minutes, but in other respects you’re a rather inconsistent Clerk. But you are aware of such behaviors. It is not directly a matter of becoming elderly, but it is easier to forget certain tasks, if you don’t use ways to remind yourself.

Yes, being elderly is a time of experiencing losses, but it is, more importantly, a time of appreciating your earth life, enjoying it now, day by day (even night by night… you could have had this Teaching this morning between 3 and 4 AM!), and preparing in some happy ways for the transition back to the life of pure spirit.

Be ever aware that your culture urges you to overvalue this earth life and “hang on” to it, at almost any “cost.” This is still an influence on you, but it is being countered, by Me through these Teachings… when it is time to move on, do so, putting aside temptations to prolong life in some sick, handicapped mode. Look ahead, with joy and expectation to continued life in a spirit realm. You will miss out on certain present relationships, but will renew others, from this life and… beyond…

I encouraged you, in a recent Teaching, to have fun being elderly… and I’ll reinforce this. Don’t try to act younger than you are, but just do what you feel like doing. A man your age can wear shorts in this season, and, because you feel comfortable in so doing… you should.