Walk with the Wise

What age do you think about when you hear the word, "old"?  Well, if you are 16, it might be 30; if you are 30, it might be 60; and if you are 60, it might be 90.  But if you are 90, you know you are old!  In the Bible, we learn about Methuselah, Noah's Grandpa, who lived to be 969 years old.  Living to that age is almost incomprehensible.  But, being as old as I am is also almost incomprehensible (at least for a few minutes each morning before my knees make noise and I look in the mirror - Yikes, who is this old lady?)  2 Corinthians 4:16 says, "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Although outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day".  It is reassuring to know that as our bodies experience aging, our Spirit is continually renewed by God.  Our true worth (and the worth of our older relatives and friends) are found in Jesus, not in physical appearance or abilities.  

In some cultures, elderly people are revered and considered a source of wisdom.  Not generally so in the U.S. Here, the common thinking is keeping up with the newest technology is of the utmost importance, and if it's old; throw it out; sometimes including people.  Leviticus 19:32 emphasizes the reverence and respect we should show older people, not only because they are our elders, but because they are made in the image of God, "You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord".

I was blessed to have close and long relationships with two women who lived very long lives.  They passed away when my Grandma was almost 98 and my late husband's mother, Ann, was 104.  My Grandma was born in rural Mississippi to parents who picked cotton for a living (she and her siblings did too).  She was born in 1917, married at 15 (I know this is disturbing, but it was a different time and place), had my mother at 17 and moved to the big city of St. Louis at 19.  Ann was born in 1915 in South St. Louis to German speaking immigrant parents, left school at 14 and went to work at one of the major hat making companies downtown, married at 28 and started having children at 30. What an amazing time they both lived through: World War 2, the Great Depression, having phones and TV in the home, the moon landing, the advent of home computers, cell phones, fast cars and riding in airplanes.  My grandma had started out by riding a horse-drawn wagon to school and Ann rode her bicycle or took the Street Car (ask an older person if you don't know what that was).  They had very different lives, but they were good friends and had a lot in common. 

I learned many things from these two women. They were both welcoming and excellent hostesses.  My grandma especially was not happy if she was not serving you another cup of coffee or another piece of pie.  They were both very generous. even though neither of them had material wealth.  Ann used to make chocolate cookies for many families in her neighborhood. In order to be able to make the most cookies possible, she would hand place three chocolate chips in each cookie.  They were both good stewards as they were frugal and used what they had, and definitely did not have a throw-away mentality.  They were wise.  Proverbs 13:20 says," Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm". This is a reminder to seek the company of the wise and knowledgeable, many of whom are older and more experienced than we are. As we grow older, we should grow closer to our Lord, which in turn, allows us to enjoy Him more, grow wiser and more emotionally stable.  

The biggest gift they shared with me was their reliance on the Lord and their concrete belief that this was not their home and how they longed for heaven.  Philippians 3:20-21 tells us, "But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like HIs glorious body". Aging is nothing to fear. Isaiah 46:4 tells us that the Lord continues to love us as we age, "I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age.  I made you and I will care for you.  I will carry you along and save you".  

Maybe my love for these ladies is why I so enjoy interacting with our Homebound church family members.  This group of men and women are wonderful Christians who need visits, companionship and love.  Many only get out of the house to go to doctor's appointments.  It has been my experience, and others have told me that those who visit receive more blessings than they give.  Please let me know if you have a desire to serve the Homebound.  The visits can be as little as once a month. 

Let's take the time and make the effort to honor, respect and love our older generations, whether they be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors or church family.  James 1:27 tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world".

In Christ,

Dana Alberternst