November 27 2017 – Click here to listen
I have a neighbor near my Honey Lake hunting plantation who lives alone in a home without running water or electricity. He draws water from a well, heats with a woodstove, and has an outside bathroom, (out house.)
I went to visit the elderly gentleman one day and I asked him how old he was, and he didn’t know. When he was born many black children were born to midwives and did not receive birth certificates. He told me that he didn’t really ever think about it and had no idea when his birthday was and didn’t really care.
Wow – What a great attitude.
Some of my neighbors estimated that maybe he was 100 years old or more. Today is my birthday and I’m 71. As I thought about the actuary (average life expectancy) currently at 79.9 years old, admittedly it gave me pause for a few moments. I have more to do, but according to the law of averages as determined by the insurance industry I’m closing in on the end.
Then I thought of all the narrow escapes I’ve had in life and I laughed. Basically, I’m indestructible until my purpose has been fulfilled and God calls me home.
I think my neighbor and I have it right. Why worry about age? My father never exercised and when I nagged him about it, he scoffed and joked that he got his exercise being a pallbearer for his friends who exercise. He lived to the ripe old age of 91.
I’m healthy and strong for the moment and I ride a bike 5-15 miles a day and workout at the gym 4-5 times a week. Don’t know what it says about his logic of no exercise, but I like being strong and healthy.
David Cassidy recently died and his last words were, “So much wasted time.”
Hmmm . . . To me that is the important question. Am I wasting too much time? I think not. How about you? Are you wasting what little time we are afforded on this planet?
I suppose we all do to some extent. I try to live life to its fullest and I’ve led a full rich life.
Regrets?
Oh yeah! But I’ve done some things right too.
I’m resolved to be more like my old neighbor. Just get up and get going and not worry about getting old. There is no such thing as getting old to someone who was created to live forever.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.