One day, my grandchildren were trying to jump rope.
“Want me to show you how?” I asked.
My granddaughter looked at me with skepticsm.
“What, you don’t think I can jump rope?”
She shook her head “no”.
“Why not?”
“You’re too old.” Her voice was gentle. I knew she was trying not to hurt my feelings wth this news.
“Too old?” I picked up the jump rope and twirled it overhead, jumped over the rope, and repeated. Probably a few more times than I actually had the stamina for, but hey, now I had something to prove.
My granddaugther’s expression of pity at my old age quickly turned to astonishment. “Nana, you’re not too old!” she exclaimed.
Who wants to be old in the eyes of their grandchildren? Not me! And yet, I often feel very old. Like there aren’t enough years left to fulfill those childhood dreams. Not enough energy to get everything done on my “someday I’ll do this or that” list. People will think you’re foolish. You’re too old, Lynne, why bother.
But other tiimes (most of the time, really) I don’t feel old at all. I feel driven by a ticking clock that never stops and seems to move faster than it did in my younger years. I stll write out my goals. I have friends to help keep me accountable to reach those goals. I have a stronger desire now to fulfill those God-given dreams that have followed me from childhood over the hill to where I am now. Telling stories, entertaining people, making books, being a kid at heart. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Letting my imagination run wild. Sharing whatever gifts and talents God has given me to bless others.
And when those days come – and they do – when I hear that voiice in my head telling me I’m too old, I think, what about God? What does he think? He didn’t think Moses was too old. Or Anna. Or Simeone. Or countless other saints who fulfiilled hiis purposes through their lives regardless of their age. I want that to be me. Used up by my expiration date. Nothing left in the bottle.
God has told us that, through Christ, we can do all things… regardless of age, maybe even because of our age. Wisdom. Grace. Patience. Perspective. Those are just some of the blessings of many years lived.
Do you ever feel that way? Too old to be used by God? Don’t believe it! Let’s stand together, hold each other accountable, to do whatever the Lord requires regardless of the number attached to our human body. See that rope over there? Give it to me. Let me show you how it’s done!
Miracles happen when we’re in His hands,
Cause age doesn’t matter in God’s plans.
From the devotional book, Invitations, taken from the poem, The Bush
