In the last few months, I have given a lot of consideration to how I want to live the rest of my life. This is probably because I have hit the “Big 65” and signed up for Medicare. My goals, ambitions and plans are all being given a dusting off and a reevaluation. Some are being tweaked, some are being overhauled and remodeled, while others are being cast aside because they simply aren’t worth the time and effort.
Most of my goals are within my control, Lord willing. While I am grudgingly acknowledging a few physical limitations, I believe I am able to do the things set before me. I may have to reconsider the amount of weight I try to lift at the gym, since I’ve read that my shoulders are more subject to injury. I know I’ll never run at the pace I once did (which was a mid-packer at best), and that I’ll often gladly accept a brisk walk instead. Tossing a baseball or football in the back yard with the grandchildren will almost always mean a sore shoulder the next morning. My body will not tolerate processed sugar desserts the way it once did. A late night ice-cream binge will generally mean a sleepless night and a day of feeling blah.
These are realities that I know I have to accept and work through or around. But, along with age, we generally attain a level of wisdom that tells us how to modify our actions to best utilize our strength and abilities. Disclaimer: My wife would tell you that I know better, but that I live in denial about any limitations brought on by aging.
On the flip side, there are opportunities that are not as available simply because of age. And it is often beyond my ability to do anything about it. Some limitations are indeed due to aging and all that it entails, but others are due to a perspective on aging and older people that is not always accurate. Decision makers tend to limit those who are older more than is probably necessary, or at least it seems that way. The general mindset is to “go young”. If the choice is between a 45 year old and a 65 year old, the odds are not in my favor. So, let’s don’t play the odds.
Let me preface this by saying that I’m not complaining. Believe me. Including their spouses, I have three sons and three daughters. They are bright, capable and energetic. As an employer, I would hire either of them in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, I have tried, but they are travelling down the life paths that they have chosen and they are doing it well. They have their own goals and ambitions and I’m thankful they do. I say that to assure you that I understand the appeal of hiring and preferring the younger generation. I really do.
Since life is a series of choices and decisions that must be made, going with youth is often the most obvious of both. And it’s probably the easiest. It appears to be the norm in business, in organizations, in churches and in almost any arena other than hospital volunteers and Walmart greeters. (My mom was a Walmart greeter and they proved a wonderful service by hiring senior citizens for these important jobs!)
And why shouldn’t it be this way? We obviously need to be training those who are going to run or oversee these operations not too far down the road. My only caution would be to not overlook things of value because of a limited viewpoint. If our goal is simply to find some young and energetic leader, pastor or executive, we just might miss out on something and someone truly valuable. Then again, we might not. I’ve seen it work both ways, and at the end of the day, age did not determine success or failure. Other factors did.
I want to emphasize again as loudly as I can that I am not complaining. Yes, I have in the past complained and yes, I have considered the fairness and wisdom of it all. But, as I have prayerfully considered and weighed this matter in my mind, I have come to realize that there are a couple of things that have changed my thinking. These are simple truths, but they can be life-changing. At least they have been for me, once I stopped saying them and started believing them.
Truth Number One: No one is truly limiting my opportunities. The opportunities I first look for may not be available, but that’s akin to saying that I didn’t catch any fish in this slough, therefore there are no fish in the river. Of course there are fish out there. Now, let me add this critical factor. As a believer, I believe we must follow the Lord’s leadership and seek opportunities that honor Him and that are in accordance with His will for our lives. And I believe that He gives us an abundance of opportunities. We just have to take our blinders off and be open to a broader picture.
We do have to wait on the Lord. But what does that mean? John Piper says this. “Waiting for the Lord means, first of all then, looking to the Lord, consulting or seeking his will before any human aid is pursued. In short, we wait for the Lord when we pause to pray before we act.” (Desiring God, September 5, 1982) In other words, we don’t literally sit down in a chair and wait for a knock on the door.
Truth Number Two: Passivity is the enemy of opportunity. Passivity and waiting for the Lord are not the same. Worlds apart. If I sit idly by waiting for my proverbial ship to come in, then about all I’m going to see is a lot of water and maybe a lot of boats that aren’t mine. God gives us mental faculties, wisdom and appropriate desires when we seek His will. He also gives us the ability to act. Passivity says, “Que sera sera, whatever will be will be”. It’s a weak cliché that gives us an excuse for not doing anything. And unfortunately, people of all ages use this as an excuse to sit back and accept other people’s beliefs and perceptions as if they were the final word.
I realize that some will read these truths and say that they are more opinion than truth. Feel free to do so if that’s what you think. To me, they are truths by which I desire to live the remainder of my time on this earth. No excuses. I may stumble along the way. I may get discouraged or frustrated, but I don’t need to say there. Stand up, dust off my shoes and keep moving.
Some may think I am a bit naïve. Maybe. And I want to be abundantly clear that I have been blessed beyond measure with good health. Not everyone has. Many, both older and younger have serious limitations, physical and other, which I don’t have. I am not trying to diminish the reality of those limitations. May God bless grant you strength and wisdom to live your best life in the midst of adversity that I have never experienced.
Life at any age is too valuable let it simply waste away or to invest it in fruitless activities. If we simply bury our talents in the ground out of fear of failure or because it’s the safest approach, we will reap the same reward as the unfaithful servant in parable found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 25, verses 14-30. We won’t find approval for our lack of trying. We’ll find disdain, or worse, we’ll receive pity.
The Golden Years. I don’t think I’m there yet. But when I am, I want them to be golden. I want to be valuable. I want to share them with others so that they may benefit from them. I don’t want them to be like gold bars locked away in a vault out of fear and worry that I might make a mistake or exceed my abilities. Nope. That’s not an option.
George Jones sang a great country song entitled, “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair.” A few lines are as follows:
“I ain’t ready for
the junkyard yet
Cause I still feel like a new corvette
It might take a little longer but I’ll get there
Well I don’t need your rockin’ chair.”
Since I never owned a corvette (although I have wished for one), I don’t know how one feels. But I have owned a few pretty good trucks, and I think I probably feel like a pretty good pickup that’s been washed and polished and with a tuned-up engine that is still reliable.
Every breath is a gift. Every day is a blessing. Every year is a cause for thanksgiving. I’m thankful for all 65 of mine, including those which were characterized by more than a few mistakes along the way. And I’m thankful that I’m not ready for the junkyard yet. I hope you feel the same. Let’s give age the respect it deserves, but let’s not let it be a chain that ties us to mediocrity.
Let’s do this.