The Older I Get

The older I get . . . the smaller the print appears to be—and the stronger the bifocals I need to read it.

The older I get . . . the more everyone else seems to mumble.

The older I get . . . the younger doctors look—and schoolteachers, police officers, bankers, pilots, professional athletes, ministers, and TV news anchors.

The older I get . . . the farther away the floor appears when I bend over to tie my shoes.

The older I get . . . the more I find myself describing something that happened "just a year or two ago," then realizing upon further reflection that it actually happened a decade ago.

The older I get . . . the harder I have to work to keep up with my granddaughter's computer skills—and she's only in the first grade.

The older I get . . . the closer attention I pay when others talk about dietary supplements and surgical procedures.

The older I get . . . the more I understand why my parents always used to stand around and visit with their friends after church.

The older I get . . . the more compassion I feel for those who are bedridden, disabled, or unable to work.

The older I get . . . the better I know exactly what I like and dislike. And the more I realize that "what I like" shouldn't be the dominant rule for my life.

The older I get . . . the less interest I have in life insurance policies and 30-year mortgages.

The older I get . . . the better I understand why the Bible puts so much emphasis on things that last instead of things that pass away.

The older I get . . . the more firmly I believe in the clear teachings of Scripture and the less inclined I am to quarrel about matters of opinion.

The older I get . . . the less I'm surprised by the human capacity to make foolish choices, the more convinced I am about the sad reality of sin, and the less I trust manmade political and religious power structures to make everything better.

The older I get . . . the more I need to rely on God and his grace.

The older I get . . . the more I realize that sadness and loss are inevitable but not unbeatable, for "to live is Christ and to die is gain."

The older I get . . . the more I savor my memories, treasure my friends, appreciate the marvels of God's creation, and thank the Lord for my faithful wife.

The older I get . . . the more I see certain Scripture verses in a new light, like Hebrews 12:12, which says, "strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." I used to read 1 Timothy 4:12 ("Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young") and think, "Yes, those older people shouldn't despise me for being a young man." Now I read it and realize that as an older man I must not look down on the younger generation. And what about Psalm 92:12-14? It tells about believers who "flourish like a palm tree . . . planted in the house of the Lord. They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green."

Sounds like a good life, doesn't it? Flourishing. Bearing fruit in old age. Staying fresh and green. Life will always have a purpose as long as we keep bearing fruit for the Lord. And we'll never be "over the hill" as long as we keep climbing.