Aging With Grace

God is concerned with not only the quantity of our lives - the number of days that He has placed us here on this earth - but also about the quality of life that He intends.  We have been given the wonderful gift of life, and He desires for us to take what He has given and maximize it.  1st Peter 3
says:
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

The Bible is so practical - if we want to live the life that brings our Lord honor, then we are called to follow His instructions.   Following His principles leads to a fulfilling life; disregarding what He has to say brings unnecessary difficulty to us.  Sin brings negative consequences, but the Spirit brings freedom.  We have the power to choose, to choose life, and if we make the correct choices, then we activate the life that Christ came to give us.

+++++

The Bible offers us reliable instruction for living a fulfilling life, a life that brings honor to the name of Jesus. Deuteronomy 5 offers this perspective:
32 Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

In 1899 in Lowndes County, Alabama, Susannah Mushatt Jones was born.  Just a few days ago, she passed away.  CNN.com reported that she was the last American born in the 1800s, according to Robert Young of Guinness World Records. She died in New York at the age of 116.

Jones attributed her length of life to "sleep, clean living and positive energy."  She had been ill and in and out of the hospital for 10 days, according to her niece.   She had been recognized last year by Guinness as the oldest living person on the planet.

She attended the Calhoun Colored School in Calhoun, Alabama, where Booker T. Washington was on the board of trustees.  She moved to New York in 1923.

In 2005, she had told the New York City Housing Authority, "I surround myself with love and positive energy," adding, "That's the key to long life and happiness."

And, she loved her bacon.  USA Today reported last year that she kept a steady diet of bacon, eggs and grits for breakfast. There was a sign in her kitchen which read: “Bacon makes everything better.”

Buddy Hamilton of Richmond, Virginia, has some ideas about living a long life.  He is 100 years old, and the Christian Examiner quotes him as saying, "Pay attention," and, "Listen to what God knows to be best."  Hamilton celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this month.  He volunteers every week in the homeless ministry of First Baptist Church, Richmond, where he has been a member 82 years. He drives himself and two friends who also volunteer in the ministry: Al Astle, who will be 100 in August, and Jack Mitchell, who is 90.

Hamilton recounts, "For most of my life, I put a lot of effort into my business," adding, "I had one foot in the secular world and one foot in the spiritual world."  But, when he was around 55 years old, he attended a law renewal weekend at his church.  That weekend, he heard the testimony of a man "who had chosen intentionally to focus on the things of God."   Buddy relates that he decided at that time that he would do the same thing.  He says, "It seems like a small step, but it was life-changing for me."

He explains, "The real sin of the world is inordinate self-interest...Every sin can be traced to selfishness that starts at birth. I think this selfishness is wired into us from birth to allow us to survive."   He goes on: "To overcome this innate selfishness I must be willing to give my thoughts and words to the Lord before they become audible and trigger action."

Senior pastor Jim Somerville says that, "Buddy offers the perspective of years of experience, but he is remarkably open-minded," adding, "When Buddy speaks, heads swivel to hear what he has to say. People trust him. There is universal recognition that he helped make us who we are."  He even has a Sunday School class named after him!

What a healthy attitude, and a great example for all of us.  A few concepts can come through mind as the result of encountering this story.  First of all, we do well to honor the wisdom of those who have great life experience.  Here is a man who possesses great wisdom and is an inspiring person.   These are the type of people who can inspire and challenge - we are never too old to stop the learning process.  Both of these examples show us that there is a value to living in a manner consistent with God's principles and being involved in loving relationships.

Also, I'm reminded that having wise and experienced people who have lived long life in a church body can be a strong example to our young people.  The next generation, or generations, need examples such as Buddy Hamilton, and ministry that is truly intergenerational has great potential to shape the lives of those coming behind.

Finally, Buddy Hamilton has a great point: to take our eyes off ourselves.  We can become so self-consumed these days.  But, God wants us to be sensitive to the needs around us.  And, he doesn't want us to stop, I believe, as we grow older.  Living in the love of God might not guarantee we'll live to be 100, but if we are consumed with selfishness, that can be detrimental to a fulfilling life.