Senior Citizen

MON., MAY 27, 1991, 7:00 AM
FARM, STUDY

The sun shines this morning, for a welcome change. Take this as an omen of goodness for the seniority that you now have. You now are a full fledged senior citizen, though one with more than a full-time job. Your life shall not change radically with this passage, but I, the Holy Spirit, want to recognize this “achievement.”

It is good to recognize these “passages” in an earth life as positive achievements rather than as signs that life is short. I know that you believe, almost to the point of knowing, that conscious life continues after bodily death, so affirming that “life is short” is a true misnomer. You are privileged to move into senior citizenry in this life, but with at least a vague sense that this is only part of a much longer process that is called eternal or everlasting life.

Just as you could retire now quite legitimately in your culture at 65 you could use your knowledge of grace and salvation as “the way” out of eternal individual life and could merge back into Me. But just as you are not yet interested in retiring from your present position so you are not through with the experiences of living, with myriad opportunities for serving. For you, eternal life is not a matter of “have to until I get it right” but one of “more different opportunities to be a functioning spiritual person.”

While this must not make you unappreciative of the dangers in earth life and of what you should do… and not do… to prolong your “stay” as Bob Russell, it allows you to do it with a light-heartedness that is characteristic of those who have this glimpse of enlightenment. Now when you reach the fullness of realization then you shall smile at what was your “present perception.” But then I’ll add that you have made the major “leap,” and you have the perception of life which is the “pearl of great price.” You have both arrived and have a long way to go.

Despite what I have told you in these Teachings you do still wonder why what you know about eternal life is not clearly in the Scriptures and part of orthodox Christian doctrine. You know you are “odd” as a Christian in having this knowledge of continuing life. (You are almost as “odd” in having such a merry and joyous way of being in life and, particularly, in your church “gatherings”) It was My Way and My choice not to make this clear in My Christian Scriptures… except that My gift to you, as the crucified and risen Christ, is eternal life. That should be accepted as expectation by all born again Christians.

Just accept that as the senior citizen you are you have the opportunity of sharing this knowledge AND the burden of knowing what most other Presbyterians do not yet accept… even reject. Be alternately cautious and bold in this knowledge.

Maintain your present effective balance in life, heeding My warnings about taking on more new tasks that you should. With a relatively clean desk, and the Teachings now in a better order, you can move ahead with the tasks of this moment. Enjoy this day as a memorial to your youth and a joyous entry into senior citizenship. Accept the joy of hearing your father, as one quite senior to you (and most other humans), express appreciation for your Ruminations. You know this is your central “outside” task in this time in your life, but you don’t yet fully appreciate what positive effects these Letters have. I know, of course, and I say, “Bravo” for what We do together.