Musings:

July 1. The solarium is filled with the sweet perfume of huge, beautiful, fuchsia-colored lilies. They bloom, beautiful and fragrant, for 7-10 days, then wither and silently fall to the ground. The petals, brown and dry, lie on the ground to be reabsorbed by the earth. Such is the cycle of life. “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14, NKJV).

Youth to middle age are the seasons of increase; the season of freshness, beauty, fragrance, and notice. The seasons of increase “that appear for a little time, and then vanish away.”

The coming of old age is the season of inevitable decrease. “Learning” - and learning takes time - to come to terms with the decrease in Physical, emotional and mental power and strength, a decrease in community involvement, and maybe, feeling increasingly un-seen. The season of decrease reminds me of the text, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The “I must decrease” time of life is when we are called, if fortunate to live long enough, to lay aside the need to DO, to accomplish, to be needed and noted.

The “season of increase” - youth and middle age - with its frantic doings and accomplishing’s no longer fits, but becomes increasingly difficult as strength wanes and life continues to march relentlessly forward: [ready or not, here it comes], fast, [too fast to keep up with] and fleeting, [ready or not, there it went.].

Lily, Vapor, and Decrease:

1. The freshness, beauty and fragrance of the lily lasts for a moment and is gone.

2. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14).

3. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).

Getting older and slower is an opportunity to accept the decreases as blessings and is, perhaps, our GREATEST blessing. Because our very “decrease,” our very fading, enables HIM to increase and flourish and make us beautiful and fragrant for the kingdom.

HE must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30). Is that not, after all, the very point of life in Christ?

The Pontificate