UNDERGOING, ONGOING "GRACE LIFTS"

Have noticed we can age with grumpy-ness and disappointment.  So, I have done a little research as to what God's word says to do about this.  In one word, see Jesus, give Him first place in every thought, idea, feeling, question, plan, problem or relationship. Long time Christians are not immune to disappointment. It creeps up on us. It is often uninvited but still arrives. Eyes on Jesus will see Jesus looking back on us with love and GRACE. GRACE. We need it and He wants to give it, abundantly.

Grumpy-ness is graceless. Disappointed, complainers are graceless. Faces droop, sag and show gracelessness. Not our best look and it gives us away. Can't be seeing Jesus and look grumpy. Can't be thinking of Jesus and be disappointed or complain. No wiggle room here. I know by experience!!!

Grumpy old men are for real. Disappointed old women are equally real. I know, I've been one of those women more times than I care to count. Energy falls out of faces as we age.  Some people call this wrinkling but I feel it's more like the heaviness of time, a disappointment burden and simple aging. Good news, we can turn that leaking energy into a prayer prompting. That we, instead of looking jowly and grumbly can promptly pray for His life giving energy to strengthen our countenance. He does that. No smiling, weirdly detached pleasant faces, no that is not the aim. We want to "look like our Jesus." Our countenance is always strengthened by knowing who Jesus is to us, and who we are to Jesus. Our faces can be prayer aware and prompted by our Indweller, the Holy Spirit Himself. He builds us the GRACE FACE. Yes, I've seen it on countless, older, Christian men and women. Their strength is JESUS. Their joy is JESUS. Their peace is JESUS. Their being is filled with grace, wisdom, energy to assist, hands to help, hearts to comfort and are purposed to build and refresh others. Their faces have been built by GRACE and it shows.

The author of grumpy old men and disappointed old women is not God. It is Satan. I see it like this -
to be disappointed or grumpy is to be UNTHANKFUL, even suffering moments of UNBELIEF, that our good and great God, is just not able to make things the way we think they should be. Might that be pride? Of Course. Note, that putting our expectations on God can be very limiting, or can be beyond expansive. Do we expect God to meet our demands? If so, this is wrong. Our expectation is IN God, knowing He is orchestrating His will for our best and His highest. This is walking by faith, expecting greater things than we can imagine because God is greater than we can even know!! It's important to realize that great things sometimes go unnoticed in the short term, but do bloom and grow in heavenly timing. Our moments, whether we decide they are good or bad, are to be lived thankfully. Otherwise we choose to oppose God, to give "in" to "grumpy" and please Satan. To be disappointed with our "now" is as to argue with God who alone knows His greater plans for all of us, and has allowed, has planned and is very present in this "now" of ours. Rather than complain about the hard spots, we can ask God to show us the way to grow through them. We can kick Satan to the curb, grab God's hand and move on allowing GRACE to build us, or we can shrink, sag and grow grumpy, disappointed, graceless faces.

'THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT"
Psalm 118:24  Today has already been planned, not for our harm, but for good, for our best and His highest.

God of all GRACE, all mighty in power, personally present with us, and Giver of all good and perfect gifts, we come to You asking Your forgiveness for all our grumpy times and disappointed times. You have already designed today, not for our harm, but for our good, no matter the circumstance. You encircle us, indwell us and propel us forward, compelling us to love You more. Help us keep Jesus first. Cause us to spend no more downhearted time as we age. Allow us to embrace every new moment from the freshness of now, free from overblown ideas of yesterday and free from borrowing trouble for tomorrow. Truly grow us in wisdom, love, and the ability to give with hospitality, give time for friendship and time for volunteering always. Energize us by the power of GRACE. Give us Your ageless GRACE FACE. May our countenance reflect our faith in Christ, not our dis-satisfaction with our own personal, current appearances, current weights, current physical fitness or illnesses. May we give thanks for all You've taken us through in this life time. You have always proved Your rugged faithfulness. We give You thanks and praise for all our days.

Keep us from living in the false impressions, and romantic ideas of yesterday or borrowing imagined trouble from the future for today and tomorrow. Keep us real and useful, humble and graceful.

Please comfort those in pain and suffering.  Cause us to come alongside them with comfort.

We want faces built by Grace, a Grace Face that reflects our life and times in You. We need Your ongoing GRACE LIFTS. May we see Your lovely face ever before our eyes.

God of all GRACE, we love and need You more. Amen.