Even When I Am Old

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

(Isaiah 46:4)

I love the promises of this verse. This is God, Himself, speaking and assuring us that even when we are old and our head is full of gray hair, He will take care of us. Just like our mothers carried us when we were babies, when we are old our Heavenly Father will carry us and care for us. What a promise!

We live in a world where age is no longer revered. The wisdom that comes with age was once sought out by younger people looking for advice but not anymore. Seniors are often seen as being not 'useful to society' or worse as a 'drain on society'. Oh, you might be okay if you are still active. You might not be treated with disrespect and disdain but heaven help you if you become feeble or infirm. Oftentimes the senior who finds themselves in this situation will quickly become discouraged and depressed because of how others perceive them. 

Paul told Titus in chapter 2 verse 4 for the older women to teach the younger women how to love and care for their husbands and children. I have often heard frustrated mothers say that children don't come with an instruction book and that's true they don't but we have two instruction books right in front of us: the Bible and experience. Younger women should seek the council and advice of older women who have already raised their families so they can learn from their experiences. Think of how much frustration they could save themselves and think of how useful the older women would feel. God has a plan even for everything. 

Sadly, our seniors are not consulted and no longer included in our decision making or even our lives. We, as a society, send our seniors to nursing homes and forget them. Now, please don't get me wrong, I believe that there are some people in nursing homes who require such care that they need to be there, however I also believe that there are many who are relegated to spend the rest of their lives away from their families simply because they have become an inconvenience and a bother to their children.They may not be able to care for their own home anymore but they are still able to be a vital part of their family's lives. 

Both of my parents grew up in multi-generational homes. My mother-in-law did too. My father was the oldest of seven children and his grandfather, who lived with them, was sixty-five when Dad was born. Since Dad's father was a fisherman and gone from home on long fishing trips, it fell to his grandfather to teach him things and spend time with him. I'm sure my grandmother appreciated having live-in grandparents to help with the children and the cooking and housework. The chores were shared and each generation had a purpose and a place in the home. 

People may forget us as we get older, but God doesn't. God loves using seniors. Moses was eighty when he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Noah was somewhere between 500 and 600 years old when he built the ark. Joshua was in his eighties when he entered the Promised Land. God doesn't care about age he can still use us and equip us for service no matter what our age is. 

 I know that God has taken care of me all my life and yes, I do have gray hair now and He is still taking care of me. He hasn't forgotten my name. He knows who I am and He cares for me. He won't ever leave me nor will He ever get to a point where He thinks I am not useful. He has a purpose for my life; a plan. I have value and purpose because I belong to Him. I am a child of the King and He will carry me and sustain me throughout this life and into eternity.