Living a Well-Seasoned Life
It’s so funny how we never see ourselves as our actual age. I look around at my contemporaries and can hardly believe how old they look!! Then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and…well, I have a good chuckle. But no one wants to be called “old” or “elderly”, right? It’s a synonym for a senior citizen. And quite frankly, it’s rude! That’s why I struggled with what to call us gals! Then it hit me… ‘seasoned’. We are seasoned! Just like seasonings can add robust flavor to any dish, life has added spices and zest to us! We are flavorful in this stage of life. And I like that!
But sometimes those spices and seasonings lose their flavor and potency over time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t only happen on the spice rack. The same can happen to us.
Loneliness can make us lose our potency and flavor just like that cinnamon in your cabinet. It’s no longer flavorful or at its maximum potential.
When Life Dilutes Your Seasonings
I lost my husband 2 years ago after a yearlong battle with liver cancer. We were married for nearly 30 years. Naturally, I was devastated. I miss him terribly. But I was not prepared for the overwhelming sense of loneliness that came with my loss.
As I struggled to keep my head above water, I began to realize it was causing me to lose my love of life. It was diluting me and I became a shadow of my former self.
But when I realized this, I also felt guilty. Guilty because I thought somehow, I was no longer supposed to enjoy life. It felt like I was betraying my husband somehow.
I prayed so much about this. The sadness, the loneliness, the guilt, even the anger of being left alone. I told God this void in my heart would never be filled. In some ways, I didn’t want it filled.
Then ever so gently, I felt Him say, ‘fill it with me’. It was then I understood I was not alone nor had I ever been alone. God had been with me and beside me through it all. He had been faithful, just like He promises us and no matter if everyone in my life had left me, He was still there.
“I can never escape from Your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!
If I go up to heaven, You are there;
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
Even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me.”
So, I began to really read His Word. I started to talk to Him earnestly about my feelings, allowing myself to express my anger and disappointments. Slowly that overwhelming feeling of loneliness lifted. The more I gave of myself to Him, the more He filled that void.
Seasonings can lose their flavor because of age. But you and I, we are the ‘Spice Girls’ and we are still invaluable to the Kingdom of God. He has a plan for us even in this season of our lives. After all, we are daughters of the Most High God.
Let’s keep our flavor strong, our potency robust and full. The enemy wants us to think we are no longer useful. Instead, let’s step forward starting today with strength, confidence and joy.
“Life is like a cup of tea. It’s all in how you make it.”