Thoughts on reaching age 93.
Where have the years gone? Down which avenue of time have
the years fled? Life lies before us, hours to work, to plan, to dream. Suddenly
they have dwindled to a precious few.
These words come to mind
“When days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November, and these few golden days I'd
share with you
Those golden days I share with you”
So we were met at Living Word by Quinta and Gene. Before
worship began Pastor Quinn announced to the assembled congregation the day was
my 93rd birthday and asked them to join in singing “Happy Birthday”. They did so, with gusto.
Some of the family came to bring dinner, so we ate together,
then visited till it was time for them to leave. Several phone calls along the
line made the time fly by.
So what thoughts
come to mind now. Different moments. I remember one morning in my walk,
starting to cross a side street when a car stopped to enter. I looked and then I
held up my hand and gestured. It was a young couple leaving to go to work, and
each had a cup of coffee sitting on the roof. So I gestured, they checked, got
their coffee, and thanked me and went on their way.
Or walking on one
4th of July and starting to sing a chorus of “It’s a grand old flag, she’s a
high flying flag, and forever in peace may she wave”, and having several join me
and clapping. Simply fun, early morning.
Church affairs bring
many warm remembrances. Or today, a good brother remembering with a selection
on his birthday wish. A fine one, and so fitting. Psalm 27,4. A fine reminder.
And remembering
all the work, the teaching and the visiting and the preaching and the weddings
and the funerals. (At one wedding the groom fainted during the service). But he
survived and the couple is living still. And the funerals and the hope that we
all hold by our faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
It was hard to be
a Christian in the first century. Roman law demanded people say “Caesar is lord”.
The Christian would not, could not. Because he knew it wasn't true. Jesus is
Lord, there is none other. So what did they do? Many died. Because they
believed in “That Day”, as Paul writes to Timothy. “I don’t care what Nero,
this particular Caesar plans for me, but I have my eye on “That Day”.
Their belief on
That Day made them different. Its the thing that ultimately shook the Roman
world. These Christians had something that set them apart, for they knew how to
live and how to die because they believed in Jesus as their Savior. And that
is the story that drove Paul on his missionary journeys to proclaim the Savior.
And that is, in
the final analysis, what fills my mind in these precious days, as I pray it
does yours. For Paul reminds Timothy that “The time is coming when people will
not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the
truth and wander off into myths.” II Timothy 4, 3.4.
I pray that the
Lord who planted the faith in Holy Baptism, will help you and me “Grow in grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” And may God bless.
GPD 11/18/13
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