The Good Idea/Stages of Life

Good morning to all –

The other day while perusing my surroundings – I started to think about the “stages of life.” More specifically I was thinking about our adult stages of life.

Some of us begin our own lives moving away from home into our own apartments or houses. Some of us begin our own lives by getting married early and beginning our lives together.

These are the stages that I saw – the single person – this person has time for themselves and their house/yard work. They answer to no one else except themselves and they pretty much come and go as they please. Their home doesn’t change much because it is only them.

Next we have the newly married couple – they do a lot together. They spend time together outdoors “fixing up the place” or they are gone because nothing is holding them down.

Now we have the couple with young children. This is the most visible family on the block. The children are outdoors because they can make all the noise they want to outdoors. Dad is usually working on something outside and Mom is observing the children, running to catch a fall, chasing a ball and running inside for water for Dad. (If memory serves me right!) This household is always busy and always making changes.

OK…now comes the couple whose children are grown up. These children are less visible outside playing…they are more visible outside doing the chores that Mom and Dad use to do. You ask, where is Mom and Dad???? - They are inside doing paperwork, reading, paying bills, listening to the quiet or maybe NAPPING!!!

You are seeing the adults less and less now…

Then we have the people who are living alone “again.” The children are gone and perhaps a spouse has even died. We are living like we are single again. Except this time, we are not planting trees, mowing the grass, laying mulch (YUCK!!) moving bikes or picking up sidewalk chalk. We now hire someone to do it for us.

Aren’t the stages interesting? Where we come from and where we go too are really somewhat the same.

The question becomes, “what have you done in the middle to make a difference in your life and the lives around you?”

Don’t just enter alone and exit alone. We are meant for something so much bigger. Do you need to know what you are called to do in the “stage” that you are in? Do you feel that there is more than just watering the lawn, picking up chalk, chasing the bikes down the street, leaving at 8AM and arriving back at 5PM? There is so much more and all you need to do is “JustAsk”.

Did we see more when we were younger? Or now do we see more when some of the obligations are lifted. I’m not real sure. I know that I want to see it all and experience what God has for me.

Even though our kids are not outdoors as much as before – I still want to be alive, be active and be visible. But – I would like to hire someone to do that mulch! I think that it would make a difference. Enjoy - Nancy (www.justaskbooks.com)