Steadfast Seniors

Our presence here on earth is an indicator that God is not finished with us - He has a purpose for us, and we can depend on Him for divine assignments that bring Him glory. Psalm 92 says:
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

He is so faithful to us, and He calls us to continue to grow and be faithful to Him.  No matter what season of life in which we may find ourselves, we can know that we can find Him and find ourselves in Him.  We can seek His face and study His Word, reliant on the Holy Spirit to direct us to find what He would have us to do and to give us the strength to fulfill His mission.  Even in the face of resistance, we can pursue the will of God.

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Through the stages of life, we can rely on God's faithfulness and remain faithful to do His will - even during the latter seasons of our life. Psalm 71 states:
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

Kenneth and Liv Hauge exemplify how to remain active in doing the work of the Lord during their retirement years - and to do so even through opposition.

The Hauges are residents of the Evergreens at Smith Run in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  They had started to hold a Bible study in the community room at the senior living center, according to The Christian Post.  But, in July of 2018, the landlord, the Community Realty Company, sent a notice saying the Hauges had to cease to hold their study or be evicted.  The article states:

According to the notice, the weekly Bible study "caused, and continues to cause, serious and substantial disturbances with other residents in the community."

"Landlord has received a series of complaints over the past several months regarding your conduct at the community," read the notice in part.

"Landlord has also learned that you show religious films on Sunday evenings, followed by a group discussion on the religious film. This activity has resulted in complaints to Landlord similar to those related to the Bible study class."

The landlord though tried to couch their eviction threat in religious tolerance, saying that they weren't being evicted for their beliefs, nor were they being told not to practice their faith.  So, that means, keep it to yourselves - seems familiar, doesn't it?  Remember the government officials who began to use the phrase, "freedom of worship," which, as it was explained, implies private practice of faith, rather than the Constitutional and Biblical concept of "freedom of religion," or a public expression of faith?

Well, a lawsuit was filed against the center and the landlord by First Liberty Institute on behalf of the Hauges.  Recently, the firm tweeted out that the parties had agreed to a settlement.  The tweet said, in part: "The FLI Legal team reached a settlement for Ken and Liv Hauge that allowed their group to gather for their first Bible study since being banned from meeting in 2018.”

The article linked to a story on the website of Fox5, which quotes Kenneth Hauge: "It’s just a great relief to have this behind us and be able to move forward..."  First Liberty attorney Lea Patterson is also quoted:

"The settlement provides that the policy that prohibited any religious activities from occurring in the community room is rescinded so that means anyone, not just the Bible study, that wants to have an event has equal access regardless of the religious content..."

And, the Hauges have signed a new lease, too!

One of the obvious talking points from this story has to do with faithfulness in retirement.  There will definitely be changes in life, but no matter what stage we find ourselves in, if we are still here on earth, it means that God wants to use us.  And, if someone has perhaps stepped aside from his or her career, that may mean some time has opened up to serve God in fresh ways.

The Hauges also demonstrate to us a dedication to doing the Lord's work even with opposition.  They were devoted to studying God's Word with other residents of this center, and even when they were told not to, they persevered and contacted legal assistance so they could continue to faithfully serve.

This is a wonderful example of standing strong for religious freedom.  We are blessed in America to have freedom of religion as a cornerstone principle, and we can thank God for that, exercise our freedom, and pray and stand with those whose freedoms have been curtailed.