I Decline to be a Senior

By John Grant

Also available as a podcast at: http://thelife.com/blogs/experience/kindle/2008/04/29/i-decline-to-be-a-senior-2/

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Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. (Psalm 71:18)

It seems that our local church has made a slight administrative error and somehow has classified Beverley and me as “Seniors.” I know because I now get the monthly “Senior Spotlight” delivered monthly to our mailbox. No sir, you must have me confused with someone else. I am no senior. I decline, I refuse to be a senior. I think it’s wonderful that our church has an outreach to seniors, but I am not one of them.

Now, you would have to read the “Senior Spotlight” to really understand what I mean. It is filled with all types and sorts of activities designed to keep otherwise over the hill bored people in the sunset of life from going stark raving mad. There are programs like “Learning to Knit While Watching Lawrence Welk Reruns,” “How To Save By Purchasing Depens in Bulk,” “How to Use a Cell Phone,” “Understanding the Local Public Transit System,” “Three Wheel Tricycle Safety Tips” and “Exciting Starts for Your Day With a High Fiber Diet.” All are supervised activities and coffee and doughnuts are served. I just can’t wait to sign up. Why they have their own choir, the J.O.Y. choir. It stands for just older years.

No, that’s not for me. I choose to wear out rather than rust out. I am not stopping until the Lord strikes me down. Caleb, one of the twelve spies sent to check out Canaan, never retired. He just kept going, and faith kept him young and strong in heart. At eighty-five years old Caleb said, “So here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.” Caleb never retired. He just kept going and faith kept him young and strong at heart. He wanted to be a part of the action as long as he could.

One’s older years are not to be spent on the pursuit of pleasure. Paul says that the one who lives for pleasure is dead while they yet live (1 Timothy 5:6). Contrary to biblical instruction, most people equate retirement with "pursuit of pleasure" if at all possible. The psalmist’s prayer should be our prayer as we age (Psalm 71:18): "Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come."

We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are few secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

So, I’m not about to sign up to be a senior. Why, I am still going through my mid-life crisis (I recently lost fifty pounds, bought a convertible and a Harley) and I am just getting into my stride for the second half of my game. I believe that‘s Biblical.

Perhaps it was best summed up on a bumper sticker I saw recently which simply said “Jesus is Coming – Look Busy.” Now will someone please remind me to call the church office and get that “senior” mistake corrected.

Question: Do you fear the "senior" label? Why or why not?

About this Author: http://thelife.com/experience/devotionalformen/authors/john_grant/

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