It\u2019s one of those things that is difficult to admit, accept, and live with: getting older with all its realities, both good and not-so-good. Most of us like to think of the wisdom and experiences we might have acquired. On the other hand, we might be aware of the aches and pains and the likely increased medical cost to stay healthier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What many of us may not be as aware of is our ability to be flexible. And I mean both in terms of our bodies and in terms of our minds. When I was younger, my parents would talk about feeling stiff after sitting for extended periods of time. I now understand what they meant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am also now aware that as we age, many, if not most, of us find it difficult to make changes without significant effort. We begin to hear ourselves saying things like, \u201cThat\u2019s the way it\u2019s always been done,\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t understand kids nowadays,\u201d or \u201cWhat is happening in the world?\u201d I remember hearing some versions of these phrases from my parents, and I\u2019m sure they also heard them from their parents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, the world is changing, and it may feel like the sky is falling. The church is changing, too, and many don\u2019t like the way it\u2019s changing. Some of these changes are out of our control. Some require us to question and take some action, while others require that we be flexible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I have discovered in myself is that I need to take a deep breath, think, pray, and ask myself: \u201cIs this situation out of my control?\u201d Trying to change things that are out of my control can use up too much energy and deplete me so much that I don\u2019t have the energy or focus to work on the things I can impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps it is something I believe I truly need to question and possibly act on. It is easy to worry and fret over things without asking: What can I do? When am I going to take this action? What resources do I need? It can take a lot of time, but it can also be rewarding to play a part in affecting even some small part of things that need to be challenged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, the most difficult option is the last one: being flexible. Sometimes, I don\u2019t like the way things change; it may feel uncomfortable, strange, or even wrong. However, those observations may simply be my own feelings, my inflexibility, and my discomfort, not necessarily whether a particular change is bad or wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I said, as I get older, the lines sometimes blur between my perceptions, comforts, and inflexibility versus change that is helpful, necessary, and good. I wonder what it would be like if when things change in our churches, in our conference, and in our neighborhoods; before we make judgments, we first take a deep breath, think, pray, and ask ourselves if this change might actually be for good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rev. Daniel Miranda<\/strong> serves as superintendent of the Inland and Seven Rivers Districts of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aging brings wisdom\u2014and challenges. Beyond aches and pains, we often overlook the need for flexibility, both in body and mind. Inland and Seven Rivers District Superintendent Rev. Daniel Miranda writes that the world and the church are changing, and not all change is bad. Instead of resisting, he wonders, what if we paused, prayed, and asked: Could this change be for good?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[74,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-opinioneditorial","category-pacific-northwest-conference"],"yoast_head":"\n