2 Corinthians 4:16 – That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (NLT)

"God gave me that gift, but I guess now I can't use it anymore."

I heard the discouragement in Mom's voice as she spilled her despair into my lap. I had taken her for her weekly hair-fixing appointment. As we sat in the driveway, she pined over her situation.

Mom had a rare gift that most musicians don't. She had been playing the piano since she was a little girl. The instructor hadn't taught her everything, however. Mom could do some things an instructor can't teach. She could listen to a piece of music and then play it by ear. Mom could also take a piece of music and lower or raise the key, depending on a singer's voice. Another rare gift that no one had taught her.

Unfortunately, dementia took its toll — and continued to take things away. First, Mom lost her ability to drive. Confusion made it dangerous for her and others on the road. Mom had been playing the piano in church since she was a little girl, but Bell's palsy forced her to give that up, too. She couldn't see well out of one eye. It was too much to ask someone to drive her to church and let her play in her condition. So, she resigned and told the music leader she couldn't do it anymore. She still had her keyboard at home and could play it, but it wouldn't be the same.

I had no comforting words to give her. But I thought about a M*A*S*H episode my wife and I had watched a few nights before. Colonel Potter had overlooked a piece of shrapnel, which almost caused a young soldier to die. Another surgeon had to fix his slip-up. Potter responded by flying off the handle at everyone for no good reason. Finally, he called in his psychologist friend and confessed why: he was afraid to perform another surgery, although he had been operating all his life. The psychologist told Potter that someday Potter would lose his touch. "We all do." Whatever that touch is. For Mom, it was playing the piano at church.

Aging is no fun. Aches and pains usually follow it as our bodies begin decaying and things start malfunctioning. But the emotional pains are far worse: not being able to do some of the things we once enjoyed. I have always loved hiking in the mountains, but bad knees and a bad back now prevent me from doing it.

Everyone's body differs, but we cannot prevent aging. But God doesn't want us to slip into depression or walk around discouraged every day. In today's verse, Paul said God renewed his spirit daily. Our spirits, our souls — the real us — don't age. And one day, God will give us a new body with no aches, pains, diseases, or limitations — a body fit for the new heaven and earth He will make.

Until then, as we face the aches of aging, we must keep adjusting to the changes age brings. We must face them knowing God walks with us, and trust Him to keep giving us opportunities to serve Him and others — even if those opportunities look different than they once did.

Let's not allow discouragement to get to us as we face the aches of aging.

Prayer: Father, help us to face the aging process without discouragement or depression. Amen.