As we were sitting around eating fried chicken and cake, I was thinking about how old she was. I get to thinking about how my life is winding down at 60. However, I am as far from her as I am from a period of life that I remember with love: Spokane, WA.
I was 30 in Spokane and was in the prime of my life. People loved me and I even had a devoted band of followers. Once we had a costume party for Halloween and I told everybody, if you can’t figure out a costume, then come as me. Three people that evening came as me. Three.
That will swell a head if you are not careful.
But my problem is that the time was 30 years ago. I am twice as old now as I was then.
With all of the attendant problems of age on me now, I get to thinking that my life is pretty close to over.
Then I see someone like Ruth. She is 34 years older than me. Further from me than Spokane is in the other direction.
True, she is in a wheelchair and in a nursing home. She has some memory problems, but then so do I. My son tells me that I repeat myself. I tell him that the reason I repeat myself is because it is good stuff. It is worth hearing twice.
But still, she is 34 years older than I am. That is half my life. Maybe, just maybe there is hope.
Of course, I exaggerate. As is the case of just about everybody, I cannot imagine dying. I don’t mind it, if it were to come, though. My only real problem is who would take care of Ella. I do need to stay around for that. But, man, I do not want to see her die and leave me.
Ruth is a stalwart of the church here in Lincoln. She has been with this church from the very beginning in 1938. Her name is on the charter, a young woman. Her name is still on the roll even though she cannot come often now.
People like that deserve a medal. In fact they deserve a whole parade. They deserve to be honored. They have spent their lives in the service of the King.
There is a man in my church who is in his 80’s. By himself now, after his wife passed away a few years ago, he still attends Sunday and Wednesday, still strong in his commitment. John is his name.
Thank God for Ruth, for John, for the thousands of people who have affected by them personally or indirectly. May they live to be a hundred.
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