The Secret To The Fountain Of Youth

     I had the privilege of meeting a man named Joe Elias at Pickens County Seniors Unlimited while doing my internship for school.  I first spoke with Joe over the phone, I was making calls to the clients asking if they were still interested in using our services.  You could tell that Joe needed someone to talk to that day, so I listened.

     Joe began by telling me how he wasn't happy with his current situation.  His nephew just moved him out of his home into an assisted living facility called Clemson Downs in Clemson, SC.  Joe talked for a good while about different things and I listened, but what really struck something in me was when he made this comment, "I am 102 yrs. old and I think God has forgotten about me!"

     Old age, should we fear it or embrace it?  While speaking with Joe he shared with me that he has nothing left to live for, that each day is the same.  Our conversation went on for a good thirty minutes and he ended it by saying I needed to come visit with him.  I did get the chance to visit with Joe and he is a remarkable man that still has so much to offer even in his 102 year old body.  Everyone at Clemson Downs talked so highly of Joe and I truly enjoyed our visit.  He did give me an impression of how it could feel to be 102, and from my encounter with Joe I wrote this poem:

     A poem on how it might feel to be trapped in an aging body.....
   

   Stuck Within

 Trapped.....fight to get out

Scream.....but no one can hear you

Escape.....you can't

You're Stuck Within

Long Days.....that last forever

Wasted Time.....with nothing to do

Moment by Moment.....you live without

You're Stuck Within

Outer Vessel.....deteriorating quickly

Strength.....that fades away

Spirit.....dies inside

You're Stuck Within

                                                                

(Author-Crystal Hall)

     .....but don't let this poem define you as you age, as Tim McConnell put it we should embrace each stage of life.  "Embrace each stage of your life that God gives you, enjoy the days of your youth while you are young but when you are old embrace it also because God is good in all stages." -Tim McConnell.

    There is a man that lives in our Dacusville community that is embracing old age.  This man is almost ninety years old, he gets up at the crack of dawn and works on his farm till sun down.  He believes in staying active, he doesn't take the time to let age get in his way. Staying active is the secret to the fountain of youth.

     We find two different scenarios in these two men, yet are they really different?

     Is it our bodies that trap us, or is it our minds? In Philippians 4:12, God tells us to be content in every situation.  Both men have lived a long life, is it possible to wake up each morning and both men have a happy and productive day?  What if Joe took on a new way of looking at things? What would be the difference then?

     In Ecclesiastes, we read that life is meaningless but it doesn't have to be because Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullness." -John 10:10  The real secret is not in finding the fountain of youth but in finding the one that will give you life to the fullness no matter the age.