PHOTO: Ursula Tunger rode her bike into my office.
PHOTO: Do you see "old" or "classic?"
For three decades, I’ve been writing about senior citizens doing positive things during their “golden years.”
From the graying-gymer who was deadlifting as much as forty year-olds to the centenarian who was wearing a mask to goof on me to my spiritual dad who was the most loving man I knew despite memory loss in his nineties to a multitude of patients at the hearing aid office who never stop amazing me, the aged are still my inspiration.
There’s just one problem here. I shouldn’t be amazed.
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We shouldn’t think, “That’s pretty good for their age.” It’s may be their age that makes them pretty good.
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It was always meant to be that my elders should inspire us. It’s really part of their job description. It’s one thing to acknowledge that we slow with age and are incredibly moved when someone who is older seems to surpass the energy of another that’s two-thirds his or her junior. After all, two not-so-recently seniors ran for president that required hundreds of campaign stops.
But in terms of the average-joe senior, there should be no surprise when they function in a productive way. We shouldn’t think, “That’s pretty good for their age.” It’s may be their age that makes them pretty good. Experience, and experiencing the long-term effects of God’s grace, makes them a happening cultural and spiritual commodity.
We’ve all heard sermons about Moses dying with light in his eyes. Perhaps the reason we’re not seeing the light in our seniors’ eyes is that we may have some stereotyping darkness in our own.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: Despite the fall of Adam and Eve, it would be hard to imagine that God would superfluously sentence seniors to a stage of insignificance. Gifts get honed with time and that’s a portal for them and the observant.
They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green,…But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day…‘I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool.’…
Psalm 92:14 NASB, Proverbs 4:8 ESV, Leviticus 19:32 HCSB, Daniel 7:9 NKJV