“Hey Old Man” is a greeting I hear a lot, a term of endearment, I am sure. Don’t laugh I am not the only one getting AARP ads in the mail weekly. Last week I got a discounted soft drink without requesting the benefit. 😊
Growing old, like taxes, is a fact we all must face. I am not sure when growing up stops and growing old starts, but there are some signs along the journey that suggest we are transitioning. As we age we can’t do what we used to do, this is a reality for most people. That is unless you are one of those folks who get on TV or the internet for incredible feats at an advanced age.
The problem is not the natural process of aging, but it is the mental defeat that comes when we resign ourselves to the idea that we don’t have much value in the later years. “This is terribly wrong, destructive and can quickly sentence you to the prison cell of self-pity, surrounded by the 4 bleak walls of doubt, depression, uselessness and grief.” Chuck Swindoll
God’s patriarchs have always been among His greatest witnesses.
–Abraham’s best years were his later ones.
–Moses didn’t get to fulfill his calling until he was 80.
–Caleb was 85 when he began to enjoy the fruit of his faithfulness.
–Paul’s last years were used praying for and writing letters of encouragement to the churches that we still cherish today.
Take some advice from a grey-haired guy. If God has decided to let you live this long, your age is not a mistake or a bit of luck, it is part of His plan. Be thankful that there is still something you can do, and do it. If you are younger, be praying about the future, that you will be a faithful and valuable vessel as long as you live.
Blessings,
Rick