Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 NIV
This passage from Ecclesiastes is addressed to young people but the description of old age sure fits us today. I wouldn't say we have no pleasure in life, but there are times that old age isn't fun. For example, spending the night in the ER because you did something that scared your children and they called 911.
Just when you think you are finished with all your doctor appointments, something else pops up. (The clouds return after the rain.) Hands get shaky (keepers of the house tremble), backs become stooped, teeth need to be pulled (grinders are few), vision grows dim, hearing fades, sleep patterns are disturbed, it isn't safe to go up a roof or ladder (afraid of heights) or drive far at night (dangers in the streets), and hormones no longer stir desire. All these are signs the body is wearing out and life on earth is drawing to a close.
We have had a lot of good years but in the last year the slide downhill has picked up speed. The list of imperfections in our bodies has grown longer. Between us, we've got all of them listed above. But that has not stopped us from enjoying the days we have left. We like to sit on the patio in the evening and watch the sun go down. We enjoy walks down our country road, talking to our children and grandchildren, reading the Bible through every year, and many other pleasures.
Old age has its benefits and limits. The key to enjoying old age is to focus on the benefits and accept the limitations without dwelling on them or rehearsing them at every opportunity. The hectic days of driving children to school, canning hundreds of quarts of fruit, and being on call day and night seven days a week are over. There is time to volunteer with organizations that help the poor and lost, give a helping hand to a young mother, weep with those who weep, and move at a slower pace doing what needs to be done instead of just what is most urgent at the moment.
Old age is the golden hour. We can look back on a long list of answered prayers and years of spiritual growth. We no longer care if we aren't up-to-date with the fads or trends. We are satisfied with what we have and don't need any more stuff. There is a contented glow at the end of life as we anticipate the glory of our eternal Home beyond the sunset.
