A little self examination …

May 11th, 2008 | by Brenda |

The Old Woman You’ll Meet

By Richard C. Halverson

“You’re going to meet an old woman someday!  Down the road ahead – 10,20,30 years – she’s waiting there for you.  You’ll be catching up with her!”

What kind of old woman are you going to meet?  That’s a rather significant question!!

She may be a seasoned, soft, gracious person – a lady who has grown old gracefully, surrounded by hosts of friends who call her blessed because of what her life has meant to them.

She may be a bitter, disillusioned, dried-up, cynical old buzzard, without a good word for anybody – soured, friendless, and alone.

The kind of old woman you will meet depends entirely on you.  Because that old woman will be you!!  She’ll be the composite of everything you do, say, and think – today and tomorrow.  Her mind will be set in a mold you have made by your attitude.  Her heart will be turning out what you’ve been putting in.

Every little thought; every deed, goes into the making of this old woman.  She’ll be exactly what you make her – nothing more, nothing less.  It’s up to you.  You’ll have no one else to credit or to blame.

Every day, in every way, you are becoming more and more like yourself.  Amazing, but true!  You’re getting to look more like yourself, talk more like yourself.  You’re becoming yourself more and more.

Live only in terms of what you’re getting out of life and the old woman gets smaller, drier, harder, crabbier, more self-centered.

Open your life to others, think in terms of what you can give to life, and the old woman grows larger, softer, kindlier, greater.

A point to remember is that these things don’t always show up immediately, but they’ll show up sooner than you think.  These little things, so unimportant now – attitudes, goals, ambitions, desires – they’re adding up inside where you can’t see them, crystallizing in your heart and mind.  Someday you’ll harden into that old woman, and nothing will be able to soften or change them.

The time to take care of that old woman is right now – this week, today!  Examine her motives, attitudes, goals.  Check up on her.  Work her over while she’s still plastic, still in a formative condition.  The day comes, awfully soon, when it’s too late.  The hardness will have set in, worse than paralysis.  Character crystallizes, sets, jells.  That’s the finish.

Any wise woman takes personal inventory regularly.  We all need to – in the light of Christ and His Word.  You’ll be much more likely to meet a splendid old lady at the proper time – the lady you’d like to be.