Yesterday I went on a field trip with my youngest child to Tryon Palace in New Bern, NC. Wow, it was terrific on so many levels! First, I was thankful just to be able to go on a field trip with Peter and his class. He is growing up, and before you know it, there won't be any more field trips to attend... or my son may no longer think it's such a great idea to have his mama on the trip! Secondly, what a magnificent place to visit! I had never really been to New Bern, and it is beautiful and charming. Lovely historic buildings, water all around--you can't beat it! Thirdly, it is so much fun to learn something new. I'm sure I humiliated my child since I asked so many questions, but, honestly, it was fascinating. History provides such a vast wealth of lessons for us today. Might we all be lifelong learners. It is so true: the moment we stop growing and learning, we begin shriveling up and dying. But if we keep learning, there's no telling all the ways God can grow us and change us and use us for His kingdom. As Madeleine L'Engle once wrote, "The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." It might be hard won, but with age comes wisdom. And speaking of age-gained wisdom, the fourth thing I loved about the field trip: experiencing history gives you such good perspective on the present. We ponder how quickly our days are rushing by, recall what things really matter and will stand the test of time, and contemplate what might be our legacy to generations in the years to come. "Teach us to number our days aright that we might gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12) O Lord, teach us and help us to be faithful!
I guess I am thinking about growing older right now--and I'm thankful to still be here, albeit aging rapidly, and praying that God uses all my years to grow in "wisdom and stature and favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52) This all reminded me of something I read the other day by Howard Hendricks. "Older people can be excellent learners, but frequently they are conditioned against learning. Somewhere along the line they were infected with the idea that you can't teach an old dog new tricks--which is true, if you're teaching dogs, and if you're teaching tricks."
Amen! We are not dogs, and while we still have breath in us, we can still be learning and growing in Christ! I'm confessing right here that I have the memory of a flea... on a really good day (that is on my good day, not the flea's). But I so long to memorize God's Word and hide it deep within my heart and marrow so that when jostled by life's blows, it is His Word which spills out and not my own selfishness. He's given us brains; He's given us His Holy Spirit; He's given us His resurrection power; He's given us His grace; He's given us His divine wisdom. So with all that He's given us, I think it's about time we start putting what we've got to work! Start living out what we believe. Start memorizing His eternal Word. Start learning and changing and growing in whatever ways we sense His leading.
Howard Hendricks writes of a dear friend, an 86 year old woman who just went home to be with the Lord. "The last time I saw her on planet earth was at one of those aseptic Christian parties. We were sitting there on eggshells, looking pious, when she walked in and said, 'Well, Hendricks, I haven't seen you for a long time. What are the five best books you've read in the past year?'... She was 83 on her last trip to the Holy Land. She went there with a group of NFL football players. One of my most vivid memories of her is seeing her out front yelling back to them, 'Come on men, get on with it!'"
She died in her sleep at her daughter's home. Her daughter told Hendricks that just before her mother died, she had written out her goals for the next 10 years! You just gotta love that spunk and that attitude to keep pushing, keep growing!
Moses began his true life's calling after the age of 80! Abraham and Sarah were older than dirt when they had Isaac. There are so many examples of men and women God has used mightily in their older, wiser years. George Herbert wrote so many years ago, "And now in age, I bud again." Might we bud again and again as we grow older and closer in Him. And now, time to get some ice cream for my little guy... and in age bud in love and faith again. To God be the glory.
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