A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. - Greek Proverb
At the beginning of 2015, our church hosted our annual Vision Night. It is here I shared our prayers and dream of having a ministry devoted to 'tweens' ages 10 - 12. Following the service, 74-year-old David made a beeline to me. "Sign me up!" he said with enthusiasm. After we clarified what he was signing up for :>)... I knew down deep that somehow our tween vision was really going to happen this year.
Here we are 10 months later and his enthusiasm has not slowed down - but grown! He has hung artwork in their new classroom, dug out resources for class time, encouraged parents, and done an incredible job of connecting with the young people. He brags on their artwork, asks how they are doing, and even shares his own needs so the kids can pray for him. David consistently prays for the young people and families and wants nothing less than God's kingdom to be revealed in their lives.
He is a model of following Jesus in the golden years.
As I look around at the world I live in, I give thanks for the 'grandparent generation' we are blessed to have. They are the ones who...
- give big hugs and make us feel loved and valuable no matter what
- have good conversations that aren't distracted by their cell phones
- remind us of our manners and what's important in life
- share stories and jokes and wisdom along the way
- celebrate our accomplishments, big and small
- faithfully pray and give generously to us
Let's honor the older generation and make sure they know how precious their investment is in our lives. Their purpose has not diminished with age. They are truly in their golden years and have the most to offer us. And let's listen to their lives and follow their example.
Living our best lives includes receiving from those who have gone before us and allowing it to shape us into better people as they are.
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