I Have Been Young, And Now Am Old I Have Been Young, And Now Am Old I Have Been Young, And Now Am Old

Readers, if this is you, then I hope these few personal words will bring joy in affirmation. If this is not, then I pray they are instructive.

Early in my calling, God gave me a necessary love for people, young and old alike, but especially for those nearing their crowns in heaven. I also was blessed to have a wise Pastor, one I knew God placed in my life to guide, encourage and give me opportunities for service beyond any dream--service that took me well beyond the walls of my own church.

At the same time I was called as Associate Pastor, through his leadership, the church also appointed me as Youth Director, and, Sunday School teacher for a senior men's class--talk about being "baptized by fire." But I trusted God and knew He could do what I could not.

On my first Sunday to teach, I waited until the last minute so as, hopefully, be the last person to walk into the room. I was. As I entered, with eyes down, I stepped to the lectern. While continuing to look down after putting my Bible and notes in place, a scene I shall never forget captured my attention. Three columns of heavily polished black dress shoes lined the room, almost touching in the room's center, each man's legs out-stretched with one crossed over the other at the ankles. Without looking up, my eyes raced down one column to the end of the left wall, across the back, and up the other column to just in front of the lectern. I remember thinking how many years, miles of experiences and knowledge those shoes represented. Had I not had confidence in my calling I would easily have fled the room!

Catching my breath and finally looking up, I saw a sea of navy blue suits, almost as if each was perfectly in uniform. The room was silent--their manly faces intently fixed on me. I will never forget my first thoughts--"what is a twenty-something year old thinking he can teach anything to a group of men 50+ years my senior, all Bible in hand and each well-worn." But He did, He, did--and richly blessed! My trust in Him was well-founded. My first words to them was my confession of inadequacies and my expectations to learn from them as God would lead.

And for the young, what do you tell parents who are calling the church at mid-night on a Sunday night wanting to know when are their kids coming home? Not every Sunday night, thankfully, but many (I was still in college at that time.). From my early beginnings, my counsel, from those older men, was to permit the Holy Spirit to lead in all matters--follow His divine promptings, never to quench Him (I Thessalonians 5:19). I have faithfully tried to follow such wise counsel. Many times my reputation in doing so served me well when necessary.

Although I cherish all those days with the youth, and continued to promote them when moving on into my own fields of Pastoral service, it was the seniors my heart was softened for in a very special way. Each time when I stood to face the people in services, when looking out upon them, I saw something very unique in each of the seniors' faces. There was a look of earnest longing, of expectation, of hope, of yearning, almost begging to know if I had something of heaven from Him that day that would be food for their souls--a source that would sustain them in the twilight of their remaining days. God had made the connection. In my spirit, I saw all their morphing faces of the ages they had previously been--that playful kid, the energetic teen and young, dream-filled adults. No, they would not leave "begging for bread from heaven," not this day!

I guess I need to pause to say here, this wasn't my first opportunity to love those beyond my years. Being the last of ten children, and nine years between the ninth and myself, I basically was raised by two "old people"--as I saw them through the eyes of a foolish kid, them then in their fifties and sixties. I was the same approximate age of all my older siblings' children. Their parents were many years younger than mine. But during those growing years, God allowed me to intimately see the relationship of my parents--their love, their lives and their many struggles and pains, heartaches and happiness. You see, He began giving me that heart at a very young age.

"I have been young, and now am old." (Listen)  I thank my Lord He placed into my life the many lives who have taught me how to be young yet grow old in grace and faith. They so beautifully showed me my future, if, and only if, I put my complete trust and faith in Him.

So, to me, growing old is not something to be looked upon with any trepedity. I will not be practicing the concept of the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas,⁽¹⁾ who suggests that we "...rage against the dying of the light."⁽²⁾ No, I will not "fight", I will not "rage against the dying of the light". For as the light of this temporal life grows dimmer each passing day, the greater the Light of the promised Life for me becomes! It is with great joy in my heart, in my thoughts, I race towards the Light!

Through all my years, I, too, can now stand and give testimony to the truth to His Word when the Psalmist says in 37:25-26, "I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his children begging for bread. All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His seed is blessed."

Reader, both young and old, know that to each of His own, God gives an aging Grace. He does not fail. I cannot imagine growing old without God and His Grace for aging.

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1. Thomas, Dylan Marlais : Weslh Poet, Born in Swansea, South Wales (1914-1953).
2. Thomas, Dylan: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, 1949.