There is such sweet innocence in a child’s face. They are like a blank page, an unpainted canvas – pregnant with possibility and potential. In the hands of an artist, each canvas will be transformed to become a thing of unique beauty and wonder.
As life progresses that canvas then tells its own story – a weather-beaten, wrinkled and tired face speaks of years of sorrow or ill-living, but for every one of those faces I have seen many other older faces that reflect contentment, peace, fulfillment and dignity.
I am told that the issues of our prime years are amplified in our senior years, which is certainly true of my parents. My mom was one of the biggest-hearted souls I ever knew and that became such a telling feature of her life as she faded. She would sing hymns and warmly embrace her nursing staff, but regardless of how she felt, every time I asked she gave a standard reply, “I am fine, how are you”.
My dad unfortunately was a bit of a grumpy old soul in life, forever believing himself to be near death. The fact that he outlived his worst fears by 86 years is beside the point, but his worst attributes have also been amplified in later life, making him almost unbearable. Don’t get me wrong – I love him and feel for what he is going through, but I also have no doubt that he is making his last journey far worse than it needed to be.
Yesterday I read of a man who visited Sierra Leone and was immediately dubbed an old man at 46 – because the average life expectancy there is 43. That brings a healthy perspective to life and the need to live each moment to its fullest.
The young, beautiful face in the picture is just so happy to be alive and part of the world cup, regardless of her circumstances. She can remain as beautiful throughout her life if she never lets go of the simple virtues of life and innocence. We can remain relatively innocent if every new day is an adventure, a discovery, a game to be played for today.
We take life so seriously that we are often old before we had a chance to be young. The same could be said of the world cup, which is almost over before it even started. May that not be said of our lives – may life not be on its way down long before it reaches it peak, its potential and the fullness of God’s purpose for us.
Live … play the game … enjoy each moment … and let the light of God shine in and though you.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
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