Once I Was Young and Now I am Old

Once I Was Young and Now I am Old

“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.”   Psalm 37:25

 

It doesn’t matter if you are 20, 50, or 80+ years old, there will be a time you look in the mirror and ask yourself how you got to be this age.  You may age gracefully or very hard; it depends on a lot of things, but you are going to age.   

I remember some years ago of hearing my 80-year old mother look at me and say, “How did I ever get this old?”  Her body had greatly aged, but her mind was still sharp and swift to think.  I remember thinking that was a strange thing to say because I was very active, working a full time job and running an antique store with my younger sister. I was busy in my church and looking forward to so many things. 

Today, I look in the mirror and hear myself saying, “How did I get this old?” Then I begin thinking of all the things I did in my life.  I had 4 children and now have 10 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.  I produced a TV show, had my own radio program, spoke at many, many churches, was a minister of music, wrote and directed musicals, played piano for many years, taught Bible classes for 27 years and now write this weekly Blog.  There were so many more things I did, but don’t have room to mention.   

On top of that, I have had many physical things such as a hip replacement, knee surgery, spinal fusion, 3 foot surgeries, cancer, not to mention a broken shoulder and that is just part of the list.  Wow!  Now I’m wondering how I did so much in those years and still keep going.  I think I may be like the Every-ready battery bunny; I just keep going and going and going. 

Most of you at any age have things you once did, but can’t do now.  Did you know that we start aging at 20 to 25 years old?  Our bones, muscles and even our brains begin to age; knees lose cartilage and grows thinner.  At first you don’t notice the changes; they are so gradual, but time moves on and suddenly it’s there. 

God has his hand on you no matter the age and he hasn’t told you to stop doing this or that; he may redirect your life’s pathway.  It’s hard to recognize when you are young that God doesn’t care as much about your looks as you do; he has a greater plan in mind.  That plan is to share the Gospel with as many people as you can.  His plan is for you to follow Jesus to the best of your ability and be an example for others so they will want to follow Jesus. 

Even if we are old and crippled up, we can still be a witness to others.  Psalm 92:14 tells us, “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.”  ‘Bearing fruit’ does not mean having babies, but it means we should be sharing the Gospel and leading others to Jesus.  I want to give you an example. 

There was a man, Bill Hawkins, witnessed to everyone he could.  He got cancer really bad and was in the hospital for very serious and dangerous surgery.  My husband and I were there to pray with him before he was taken to surgery.  A nurse came into his room and he didn’t waste any time asking her if she knew Jesus and gave her the whole salvation message.  Then the doctor walked in and Bill again asked him if he knew Jesus and the doctor said yes, so Bill invited him to pray for him, which he did.  The presence of God filled that hospital room. 

There was another man, Art Knapp, who was in a hospice home.  Up until the very last he was sharing Jesus with every visitor.  He was so excited about going to be with Jesus, he couldn’t wait.  There was such a glow on his face, I will never forget it.  He was still ‘bearing fruit’ on his death bed. 

I pray that God will keep my mind and at the end of my life, I too, will be sharing the love and mighty works of Almighty God.  Don’t give thought to what you used to do, but on what you can still do. “But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:62]  You see, if you are longing for what is in your past, you can’t keep your mind on God and what is waiting in your future. 

God loves you at any age you are and he wants you to be one of his warriors that stand up and face the battles of life and continue on to the end.  Won’t you listen to him and become like the disciples of old and follow Jesus’ Great Commission to go out and preach the Gospel to everyone you can?