OLDER SAINTS AND YOUTH

"Youth may be admired for vigor, but gray hair gives prestige to the old." -- Proverbs 20:29

Turning 50 is traumatic. Well at least it is for some of us. I hate being gray, but at this point in my life I am grateful for two things ... 1.) Half of my relatives had little hair at this age, and 2) the other half were pure white in their 20's.

One of the things that concerns me in our society is that we have such a huge emphasis of separating the ages. The seniors don't want to be around the younger people, and vice versa. We live in the fifth largest senior area of the country, and our you can't even buy a home in a village unless you are 55. If we wanted to buy a home in five years, we wouldn't be able to do that because we would have a 13 year old living with us!

There is great value for younger people in rubbing shoulders with seniors. I know that there are some that are crabby and opinionated. But over the course of my life, some of my greatest mentors and friends have been senior saints who have walked with the Lord. They have become my greatest prayer partners, and I grieve every time one of them goes home to be with the Lord.

Unfortunately this separation of the ages even impacts the church. We have services for the young and services for the old. I think the body of Christ is missing out by not having all ages worshipping the Lord together. I have not been able to find any illustrations in the Scriptures where the Israelites or the New Testament church had a separation of the ages. There is much written in the epistles of older men and younger men working together, as well as how older women and younger women can benefit from a mentoring relationship.

If you are a "younger" person, take some time today at church to meet a senior saint. Ask them to pray for you and your family. And then do the same for them. If you are a senior saint with gray hair . . . step out of your comfort zone and meet a younger family. Let them know that you
will be praying for them. Who knows what might happen with vigor is combined with prestige! Enjoy your day of worship.