“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”–Psalm 92:14 I have often said, “Old age ain’t for sissies!” Life is tough and it gets tougher each passing year. Sadly, many folks get discouraged and waste away the last years of life. The following story from Senior Living gives us some good advice:
There’s a story about a young mother who died giving birth to her third child. No one in the family was willing to take care of the three little girls, except their great-grandmother who came forward without hesitation. When she took them into her home, she was 83 years old. By God’s grace, she lived another 16 years before passing on at the age of 99-long enough to parent each of the young girls into their teenage years and early 20s.
This is an amazing and inspiring example of the reality of retirement. After retirement, there is more to life than golf, easy chairs, your favorite daily television shows, and boredom. People today are living longer than ever before and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more people over the age of 65 than those who are under the age of 18.
Almost two million people retire every year, leaving many people freed up to perform acts of kindness for others. Contributing to their long lives is good health, financial stability, and life experiences. As a result, many senior adults are ready and looking for challenging and meaningful pursuits in their older age.
You may not be in a situation like the one mentioned above, but there are some things you can do as a Christian senior adult. You are called to always be a prayer warrior for the people in your life (Ephesians 6:18), and retirement provides more time for this type of thing as well as volunteering your time in your church or neighborhood. Decide that you are going to be a blessing to others who need it. When you begin to creatively use your time, God will bring blessing into your life (Hosea 10:12).
Pray that the Lord would make you a blessing in someone’s life today through giving of your time, your talents, and your prayers
