Popong 17 / Enoch

January 14, 2025


Genesis 5:21-24
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.


Yesterday, I fulfilled my goal of walking in the quiet park. I usually jog or walk, but I didn’t notice a branch hanging overhead and hit it, causing my right leg to suddenly bend at the knee. Bam! That old sharp knee pain followed. This morning, I’m still walking very slowly, but thankfully, the pain is subsiding.

I probably should stick to walking, especially when entering a nature preserve. There are hanging branches, uneven terrains, stones, grass, and other obstacles. Natural preserves usually lack paved paths.

It’s interesting how today’s message aligns with my situation. The passage talks about walking faithfully, which feels appropriate as I work on maintaining or even improving my health through diet and lifestyle changes. At this stage of life, health is my priority. There are no more responsibilities, whims, vices, or hormonal drives costing me money and physical well-being. All I need is consistency in my current efforts and, with God’s blessing, perhaps I’ll enjoy a few more decades.

It’s amazing how a biblical passage can resonate with real-life events. Hurting my knee while jogging seems like a nudge to focus on walking instead. It’s no big adjustment—my jogging is barely faster than my walking pace anyway. Sometimes I’m tempted to speed up, but now that my knee is sensitive even to minor provocations, I know I need to be more careful.
I’ve also started managing my internet and social media usage more effectively. I’ve come to terms with the fact that my posts aren’t as engaging as those of people who take social media seriously. Instead, I’m rediscovering an old but cherished hobby: blogging. Writing blogs, articles, and stories aligns with the skills I’ve developed over the years. Social media feels like a distraction—a fleeting diversion that doesn’t bring a meaningful audience. Nor do I intend to showcase my aged self to gain subscribers; that feels egotistical, narcissistic, and hedonistic.

I’ve started to embrace my reality: my relative insignificance to the wider world. And I’m fine with that. I no longer expect much from others or feel the need to meet their expectations. Right now, I share what I enjoy seeing, record those moments, and post them briefly. Afterward, I return to my books and ideas, finding joy in reading and writing. That is my current source of fulfillment.

Writing and meditating have saved me from so much. Without these personal pursuits, I don’t know where I’d be. I’ve tried other avenues for self-fulfillment, but most options don’t suit my solitary lifestyle. Friendships have come and gone; travel feels lonely; charity work has been unpredictable, often heartbreaking. And at my age, with diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, vices only hasten demise. Rekindling family relationships isn’t as feasible, as most of my siblings, like me, are nearing the end of life. Community participation only stirs paranoia in me.

So, I focus on what brings me peace: meditation, exercise, and intellectual work. Occasionally, I help people like Steve and Jim. Steve is battling drug addiction, while Jim, though in recovery, remains on shaky ground. I pray they both find stability before I’m gone. Steve is working toward rehab placement, and I stay in this house partly to ensure Jim stays sober. His ex-wife, a troubling influence, sometimes tries to pull him back into their old destructive lifestyle. I hope Jim can resist her for his sake and for her three children’s future.

This sense of responsibility feels like a purpose God has given me, even if I didn’t realize it at first. I’ve spent my life being needed, and when my own time of helplessness comes, I pray the Lord will be there for me as well.

In this season of retirement, I reflect deeply on my life. In my youth, poverty and struggles pushed me to work hard. I succeeded in improving my life and helped rebuild my family financially. Once they stabilized, I turned to rebuilding my own life, seeking fulfillment. That journey brought me here, with the realization that my life is not separate from the billions who have lived, struggled, and passed unnoticed. Embracing that truth makes life simpler to accept.

I find peace in pursuing what brings me joy—reading, writing, and meditation. These activities have been my saving grace. They’ve kept me grounded, creative, and resilient, even in isolation. For as long as I can, I’ll cherish them, trusting that they align with the purpose God has set for me.

In the end, all I can do is walk faithfully with Him, just as Enoch did.
2025-01-16 12:41:46
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