Celebrate old age (and get ready for it)
A man of God celebrating his eightieth birthday is a wonderful thing: He knows where he has come from, and where he is going, and so he's determined to make the most of today whilst it is still called that. Jay Adams' reflection is available here, the two pieces of wisdom I want to learn from are quoted here:
"Prepare for old age. True, you may never make it; there are former students of mine who have died already. If you don’t have some activity that you can engage in for the Lord, you will probably end up a sour and regretful old person. There’s always something one can do so long as he has control of his basic faculties. If he is bedridden, he can pray. My son, Todd, is in a wheelchair with MS, but he studies Greek and Hebrew and writes. He’s a man who, when he’s old, will have not only a legacy, but also something worthwhile to do in the Lord’s service.
"Prepare for old age. True, you may never make it; there are former students of mine who have died already. If you don’t have some activity that you can engage in for the Lord, you will probably end up a sour and regretful old person. There’s always something one can do so long as he has control of his basic faculties. If he is bedridden, he can pray. My son, Todd, is in a wheelchair with MS, but he studies Greek and Hebrew and writes. He’s a man who, when he’s old, will have not only a legacy, but also something worthwhile to do in the Lord’s service.
"Older people, I’m told, tend to look back. I never have been one to do so. Perhaps that’s yet to come. I told you in another posting about my sieve-like mind. Perhaps that’s the way it is because I have always had a forward look. What is next to do? To learn? To experience? That orientation, I think, has kept me as current as I can be—given my physical limitations. Inwardly, I don’t think of myself as old. I just think, 'Here’s another day—what shall I make of it? How shall I use it to honor God, and how can I be a blessing to someone else?' So long as I can continue that orientation, I think I’ll be able to carry on reasonably well for another few years. If God wills. We’re all immortal until God is through with us."