Adelaide Ayers

Shortly after her birthday, my little granddaughter, Adelaide, asked, “Grandma, are you old?”

Smiling, I replied, “Yes, I am old. I am over 50 years old. How old are you?”

Her answer was swift, sweet, and bouncy like a three year old, “I’m not old. I’m new.”

Life in the Backward Kingdom views its citizens as always new—never young or old—just new. What a freeing thought for those of us encumbered with aging bodies, misplaced memories, or festering wounds that create age lines sooner than expected.

I find it interesting that God calls us “new creatures” in Christ. That conveys two things to me:

First, I’m not old; I’m new. The parts of me that still appear old are in transition as I change from glory to glory in ways I do not comprehend. I am totally new and totally in transition from old to new.

Go figure—if I can’t understand Quantum Physics, I’m never going to grasp this one. That’s the good part. My comprehension is not required for me to be totally new and totally in transition from oldness to newness all at the same time.

Second, I am a new type of being altogether different than I was before this transformation began. I am human, but not in the old sense of being human. I am some type of creature that takes its form and identity from the One who is called the Word and spoke me into being the first time I was created.

This second creation will be complete when I receive a new body to go with the new me inside this old body. Again, most stuff in the Backward Kingdom makes no sense this side of the new heaven and new earth.

My joints groan, my mind forgets, and text messaging confuses me. Yet, I am not really old inside—I’m totally new and growing newer and newer. Like God’s mercy, I’m new every morning. It feels good to recall this principle of the Backward Kingdom and to remember that it was my wise granddaughter who brought it to my attention.

So, here’s today’s question: How old are you? Please share your answer and thoughts in the comment section below.

Connecting Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:14-16; Revelation 21:4-6

In Him together, Susan Gaddis