The “7th Annual Seniors Symposium” takes place at the Stettler Rec Center this Friday (call Annette or Betty Jean at 743-2002 or 575-5020 for more information). The theme is “Making the Connection”; basically an encouragement for seniors to remain active and connected as much and as long as possible.
No one is really fond of the aging process. Nevertheless, it’s possible to remain connected and live vital meaningful lives in advanced years.
The Earl of Halsbury began a 20-volume revision of English law when he was 90. Galileo made his greatest discovery when he was 73. At 69, Hudson Taylor was still active in foreign missionary service in Burma and opening new fields in Indochina.
Golda Meir was 71 when she became Prime Minister of Israel. George Bernard Shaw produced a play at 94. Benjamin Franklin helped to write the constitution of the United States when he was 81.
The Bible also mentions several seniors who were connected and dynamic in later years. Moses began his career as spiritual leader of Israel at 80.
Caleb was still waging war (and winning) at the age of 85. The apostle John, in exile for his faith in Christ, was used of God in his 90s to write Revelation.
Evangelist George Whitefield once complained that he’d grown weary in ministry and was glad that he would “…soon depart this earthly scene to be with Christ.” All those present nodded agreement, except Mr. Tennant. Noticing this, Whitefield asked him, “Mr. Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called home?”
The old man answered bluntly, “I have no such wish.” Then he added, “I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it’s time to call me home!” Whitefield accepted his words as a loving rebuke from God and it helped him press on faithfully in ministry.
Practically, (since we don’t really know how much time we have), we should regard our age as a numeric attachment and move forward being focused not on how old we are, but who we are and how we are living. Spiritually we should make the words of the psalmist our prayer; “Lord, teach us to use wisely all the time we have...” (Psalm 90:12).