Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,642
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psalm 139:1-6 NASB1995)
As we age (I am 75 years old) – and we don’t all age in all the same ways, in all the same timing – we don’t function nearly as well as we did when we were much younger. Now there are exceptions to what I just stated. My husband had an aunt who lived to be 106 years old whose mind was still as sharp as could be at the age of 100. I would say that she is the exception. But, again, we are all different. But, as we age, we all have things in our bodies that do not work nearly as well as they did in years gone by.
Now some of this may catch some of us by surprise when our minds and our bodies don’t function nearly as well as they did before, but none of this catches God by surprise. Even before there is a word on my tongue, the Lord knows it all. And I had to laugh with this today, because at lunch time my husband and I were talking about needing to go to the bank to take out some cash, and I was suggesting a different amount as we usually get, but I left out a zero in the number, so I said 30 when I was thinking 300.
Ever since I turned 75 I have noticed some gradual mental decline, nothing major at this point, but enough to be of concern. And I have not changed my diet or my activity level. In fact, I have improved my diet somewhat. I could be more physically active. But as I am writing, sometimes my mind goes blank and I have to bring it back, or I can’t spell a word I have always been able to spell, or I have difficulty with my normal processes I go through in writing and so I stop and pray for the Lord to bring it back.
Some of this may not be age related. Four years ago we had a mice infestation and I got deathly ill and three months later my right leg cut out on me and I could not walk or stand. I did my own research on this and I found that I was experiencing neuropathy, which can be one of the side effects of the sickness from the mice. And there is no cure for it. So I have been using a walker ever since then. For now I have balance issues and my leg does still give out on me sometimes to where I need to sit down.
Then, several months ago I was having this feeling like bugs were crawling on my head, and so I did research on that, too, and what I discovered is that can also be neuropathy, only now impacting my brain and not just my leg and foot. And the symptoms of that include mental decline. So it could be that what I am experiencing is mainly that, and not aging, or just aging, or a combination of the two. But my brain has slowed down much, and normal mental processes are not working smoothly like they ought to.
So, when I read this passage of Scripture this afternoon, I was encouraged by it, for one of my concerns is that I would get dementia and that I would lose my ability to think like I can think and communicate now. But the Lord is responding to me in my concerns and he is letting me know that whatever path this neuropathy or aging process takes in my body, he is with me, and he has me in his care and watch, and nothing is going to happen to me but what God allows it and that he will walk me through it.
“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,’
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.” (Psalm 139:11-12 NASB1995)
Now, I do not see this as meaning spiritual light and darkness, because those are not the same to God. Good and evil are not the same to God. But as we age, and as there is some element of mental decline, it does feel like darkness. Like when I am writing and I totally lose what I am doing, not that I don’t know that I am writing, but I lose my train of thought, or I can’t spell a word I’ve always been able to spell, or I can’t recall my normal processes, then I feel lost. And that can be disconcerting.
So, I believe the Lord is encouraging me through this passage of Scripture today that even if I experience more mental decline, perhaps to the point to where I will no longer be able to write, he has not changed who he is, and my relationship with him has not changed, and he will protect my mind and my heart, and he will keep me safe. I am to trust him with this and believe in his sovereignty over my life, and keep following him each day as he leads me, and trust him with my future. For I am in his care.
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
The Aging Process
An Original Work / May 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psalm 139:1-6 NASB1995)
As we age (I am 75 years old) – and we don’t all age in all the same ways, in all the same timing – we don’t function nearly as well as we did when we were much younger. Now there are exceptions to what I just stated. My husband had an aunt who lived to be 106 years old whose mind was still as sharp as could be at the age of 100. I would say that she is the exception. But, again, we are all different. But, as we age, we all have things in our bodies that do not work nearly as well as they did in years gone by.
Now some of this may catch some of us by surprise when our minds and our bodies don’t function nearly as well as they did before, but none of this catches God by surprise. Even before there is a word on my tongue, the Lord knows it all. And I had to laugh with this today, because at lunch time my husband and I were talking about needing to go to the bank to take out some cash, and I was suggesting a different amount as we usually get, but I left out a zero in the number, so I said 30 when I was thinking 300.
Ever since I turned 75 I have noticed some gradual mental decline, nothing major at this point, but enough to be of concern. And I have not changed my diet or my activity level. In fact, I have improved my diet somewhat. I could be more physically active. But as I am writing, sometimes my mind goes blank and I have to bring it back, or I can’t spell a word I have always been able to spell, or I have difficulty with my normal processes I go through in writing and so I stop and pray for the Lord to bring it back.
Some of this may not be age related. Four years ago we had a mice infestation and I got deathly ill and three months later my right leg cut out on me and I could not walk or stand. I did my own research on this and I found that I was experiencing neuropathy, which can be one of the side effects of the sickness from the mice. And there is no cure for it. So I have been using a walker ever since then. For now I have balance issues and my leg does still give out on me sometimes to where I need to sit down.
Then, several months ago I was having this feeling like bugs were crawling on my head, and so I did research on that, too, and what I discovered is that can also be neuropathy, only now impacting my brain and not just my leg and foot. And the symptoms of that include mental decline. So it could be that what I am experiencing is mainly that, and not aging, or just aging, or a combination of the two. But my brain has slowed down much, and normal mental processes are not working smoothly like they ought to.
So, when I read this passage of Scripture this afternoon, I was encouraged by it, for one of my concerns is that I would get dementia and that I would lose my ability to think like I can think and communicate now. But the Lord is responding to me in my concerns and he is letting me know that whatever path this neuropathy or aging process takes in my body, he is with me, and he has me in his care and watch, and nothing is going to happen to me but what God allows it and that he will walk me through it.
“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,’
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.” (Psalm 139:11-12 NASB1995)
Now, I do not see this as meaning spiritual light and darkness, because those are not the same to God. Good and evil are not the same to God. But as we age, and as there is some element of mental decline, it does feel like darkness. Like when I am writing and I totally lose what I am doing, not that I don’t know that I am writing, but I lose my train of thought, or I can’t spell a word I’ve always been able to spell, or I can’t recall my normal processes, then I feel lost. And that can be disconcerting.
So, I believe the Lord is encouraging me through this passage of Scripture today that even if I experience more mental decline, perhaps to the point to where I will no longer be able to write, he has not changed who he is, and my relationship with him has not changed, and he will protect my mind and my heart, and he will keep me safe. I am to trust him with this and believe in his sovereignty over my life, and keep following him each day as he leads me, and trust him with my future. For I am in his care.
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
The Aging Process
An Original Work / May 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
