Mick's Musings - Old dogs,new tricks?

Seniors on a 444 mile Natchez Trace bike trail.

"Hardening of our categories" - a Howard Hendrick's phrase all too descriptive of us oldsters. We are locked into our ways. In fact, some of us believe our prejudices, our preferences, and our preconceived ideas were thundered from Mt. Sinai.

It is scary to be my age and the Lord confront me through His Word about my hardened categories and tell me some adjustments were necessary if obedience to Him mattered. Here's just one category. In a word God said, "Mick, before you say something to whomever - your sweetie, or a complete stranger - I may want you to respond differently." Years of perfecting responses to all sorts of interactions does not give up without a fight. The choice was mine, obey or not. No zapping with a category softener from my Father that took the sweat out of considering doing it differently. He laid the choice squarely at my feet. Or in my heart.

And no category is off limits with Him. The Hound of Heaven will pursue us, and overtake us, and capture us for Himself. If I am to be conformed to the image of Christ until I am made like Him when I see Him as He is, then constant category checking and change is necessary. That's scary for an oldster whose gene pool, experience, and natural bent readily cultivated an  acceptable to me (often hurtful to others) hardening of the categories.

So hang with this "old dog". New tricks category on the docket.