Honoring Our Own Old Age – Sunday, January 11, 1998
Nations across the world teach their young to honor their elderly, but to those who look in the mirror and see an older person looking back at them, comes the question: Are you honoring yourself as you grow old?
One writer said, “Let us respect gray hairs, especially our own.”1 To some, growing old is a curse; to others, it is a blessing. What makes the difference? Perhaps it’s the perspective of the one doing the growing. Some athletes fear growing older because their bodies cease to perform at the level needed to excel. Some surgeons experience similar fears as their once steady, dependable hands become shaky and more difficult to control. There is no question that our bodies change as we progress through mortal time. However, that very change may lead us to the most fulfilling experiences life holds for us. There can be great excitement in the venture of new opportunities that age opens up; for, no matter how old our bodies may be or feel, we are still able to tap into our great and growing reservoir of knowledge and wisdom and use it to bless mankind.
Research reveals that “nearly two-thirds of all the greatest deeds ever performed by human beings—the victories in battle, the greatest books, the greatest pictures and statues—have been accomplished after the age of sixty.”2
Senior citizens may be pleasantly surprised to discover that they are already enriching the lives of many as they pursue a dream, they never had time for before or as they endure serious health problems with dignity and faith. And consider the immeasurable impact they can have as they listen to and love a child or anyone in need of a friend.
Old age, when lived with wisdom and love, becomes a great blessing to the one in the aging process and to every life it touches. The poet summed it up when he said, “How beautifully the leaves grow old. How full of light and colour are their last days.”3 As we venture into the newness of growing old, we can then smile back at the image in the mirror and honor this sacred time of life.
1J. P. Senn, Barnes and Noble Book of Quotations (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1987), p. 21.
2Albert Edward Wiggam, The Christian Leaders Golden Treasury (Indianapolis: Drake House, 1955), p. 10.
3John Burroughs, Barnes and Noble Book of Quotations (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1987), p. 22
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January 11, 1998
Broadcast Number 3,569