It’s often joked about older people complaining about their various aches and pains.

“It’d be easier to tell you what doesn’t hurt….”

And we all roll our eyes and grin a little. I’ll admit I often thought they just needed something to talk about. Really why not talk about your health? People get very concerned and pay attention if you have an ache, pain.

Yes. I was that selfish.  Was. Was. No longer. I have joined the ranks. Every year it seems the first full week of March my body knows what is coming and gears up for it in ways I wish it wouldn’t.

My left wrist has hurt something awful since Friday. I don’t think I did anything but to bend it to put something on my shoulder is a killer. Last night it throbbed.

Last week my right hip was stiff and sore. For no reason. I could understand if I had done something, but I haven’t. It hurt to sit. It hurt worse to stop sitting and stand. Walking was okay after a few steps. Yesterday it moved to my ankle.

All of this to remind me that I am getting older. Life is pressing in on this body of mine. All the aches and pains, which really are quite minimal compared to some, are making my new body sound that much better.

I am also reminded of Psalm 103:14 (the whole chapter is a treasure trove!) “Because God knows how we’re made, God remembers we’re just dust.” (Common English Bible)

Our God is so compassionate with us. He knows. He remembers. It is we who forget. We forget with others. We expect things, actions, reaction, behaviors etc, from others and then when they don’t deliver, we’re upset. We forget they are just dust too.

We also forget we’re just dust. We forget we won’t always get it right the first time. We forget and when we stumble, when we fall, we beat ourselves up. We think we need to do penance for our misdeeds. When all the time God is saying, “Come to Me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (Common English Bible) Sometimes our heavy loads are our own sins. Sins covered completely by the blood of Jesus. Sins we keep carrying around, sins we can’t seem to escape from, sins we want desperately to turn from but lack the strength.

And God says, “I remember you are just dust.”

Not to at all wink at sin. Not to say it doesn’t matter. He says to us, “You’ve confessed that. I tossed it into the depths of the sea. I’ve tossed it as far as the east is from the west. Cut yourself some slack.”

It is so encouraging to me that while He is a holy God and expects absolute perfect holiness from me, that He remembers I am still dust. I’m still trapped in a body with a nature bent on sin. He knows the struggle I face. He knows the struggle you face.

And I’d like to think the God of heaven stands and applauds when we stumbling and bumbling do the right thing.  He stands quick and ready to deliver, to help when we cry out to Him. It doesn’t matter if we cry out first or out of sheer frustration. He is ready.

We sang in church this morning, “Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is Mighty to save. Forever. Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave”

Does that make anyone else want to fall down in worship?