Old shoes are not so bad

I was telling a friend the other day that I felt like an old dilapidated worn out shoe that needed to be thrown out with the trash. The older I get, it seems the more aches and pains etc. crop up, and the more I feel that way. I remember my brother used to say that all of the time. He had been through the mill I tell you. He lost his beloved five year old son to brain cancer and shortly thereafter our mother died of the same thing. He went through three broken marriages after that. He had serious neck problems and had three discs fused in his neck that left him stiff necked and living in constant pain and addicted to pain killing medication. He underwent quadruple open heart surgery which left him weak and further depressed. If that was not enough the company for which he had worked for thirty years forced him into retirement at age fifty two and replaced him with a youngster. He committed suicide not long after.

Life can be tough and if we dwell on our misfortune instead of our good fortune it can be a downward spiral that can end in tragedy for sure. I was talking to my father about this the other day. He has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he is very depressed about it. This seems strange to me as I cannot recall ever seeing him depressed and most would describe him as the eternal optimist. He is 86 and it is doubtful that his Parkinson’s will play a significant role in his ultimate departure from this old world as he is in the very early stages and it is a fairly slow developing malady. He was fine until the day they diagnosed him and then he became depressed. He is down in the dumps as a result of dwelling on the negative.

Hmmm What to do? I suppose if one looks at the old shoe situation in a positive light, one could say that old shoes are the best shoes. My closet is full of both new and old shoes, but if I have a choice I invariably reach for the old shoes which are far more comfortable. I cannot bring myself to throw them out because I like them far better than the brand new shoes that have not been broken in. When i look at it like that, being an old shoe is not so bad after all. The Bible teaches that gray hair is a sign of wisdom and a crown of glory. Old folks suffer from health problems and accumulated aches and pains from living tough lives through decade after decade, but they enjoy wisdom and knowledge far removed from their younger replacements. As we wind up our stay in this old world, Christians look with eager anticipation for the new glorified body that will never grow old and dilapidated and “old shoes” are statistically closer to that wonderful event than new ones

Jesus taught us to look around and count our blessings instead of counting our tribulations. My father cannot even keep up with the number of grandchildren and great grandchildren he has which are truly God’s blessings. He is financially in good shape, has a wife, friends, and relatives that love and respect him, his mind is sharp as a tack, and on and on. Most of all he is a born again Christian and is loved by Jesus Christ Himself. Not so bad when you look at it like that – eh? Sounds like good advice again from our wonderful Father above. If you are suffering, remember Jesus Christ who suffered far more than anyone has ever suffered, (or will ever suffer), and yet today He reigns in glory where we too shall join Him. All things considered, old shoes are really not so bad after all…

2 Tim 2:12
If we suffer, we shall also reign
with Him…