The Wonderful Years from 66 to 100!
- Ron Bainbridge
- Feb 3, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 20
Friends, the purpose of Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES, is to provide men and women with words of Encouragement and Hope, as well as empower believers in Jesus Christ around the world, to recognize, experience, and celebrate their oneness with all others who know Jesus as Saviour and Lord, regardless of denomination, church fellowship, or historic tradition.
Today’s Message of Encouragement from
Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES
HELPING PEOPLE FIND PEACE and HOPE
(Ron Bainbridge Editor)
(Stories of Real People, Real Events, Real Places)
They provide Spiritual FOOD FOR THOUGHT
To HELP People Find PEACE and HOPE,
Along with the Meaning and Purpose
For A BETTER LIFE
(John 10:10; 14:1-6; Acts 2:36-47.)
The Wonderful Years from 66 to 100!
“Age is a state of mind,
And ‘Old’ is not
Useless!”
Friend, the eagle-wing image of ageing is no quick release from individual responsibility. Those who “wait upon the Lord” hoping to “mount up with wings as eagles” (Isaiah 40:31) may wait a long time and face bitter disappointment unless they provide the conditions.
Renewal is active rather than passive. The good Lord feeds the birds of the air, but He does not throw the seeds into the nest. He transforms a dry bulb in the mud into a beautiful lily, but He does not do the planting, feeding and cultivating. Renewal, beautiful as it is, is a condition involving responsibility.
Although some people might believe that to “wait upon the Lord” (ISAIAH 40:31) is a vague term, in reality, it is a very precise and clear term. A doctor cannot heal a broken bone or replace damaged tissue. He can, however, provide the conditions for the healing and then he must wait upon the Lord. A farmer cannot cause a blade of wheat or a stalk of corn to grow. He can only prepare the soil, plant the seed, keep down the weeds, and water the ground if necessary; then he must wait upon the Lord.
Renewal from the bruises and bumps of childhood is not the child’s own doing. Recovery from the illnesses and accidents of youth is above and beyond our control. Health and energy which sustain us for the middle years are more providence than self-help. We can nurture and encourage life, but life is a gift from God.
My surge in this eighty-seventh year of my life is no personal achievement. I simply felt the challenge of important things to do and responded. I provided some of the conditions such as caring for my health and relating to stimulating friends, but God did all the rest! I waited on the Lord. He renewed my strength and I can “mount up with wings as eagles” (ISAIAH 40:31).
Friend, when I speak to some of my peers and tell them about my renewal, the universal question is, “How does one find the surge of the eighties?” or “How can I find this Fountain of Age you talk about?” This is a very searching question. My contemporaries divide themselves naturally into those who are renewed and those who are not.
I have some charming friends who have resigned themselves to withdraw and progressively disintegrate. They beautifully illustrate the traditional images of ageing as a sad thing that everybody must go through. At seventy years of age the poet, Phyllis McGinley, wrote these words:
“Seventy is bitterness
Seventy is gall!
But it is better to be seventy,
Then not be alive at all!”
I have other friends, thank God, and there are many, who share my sense of renewal. They face the world with verve and hope. They have looked old age in the face and found it beautiful. Today, I can say with absolute fidelity that I am happier now than I have ever been in my life. Growing numbers of older people feel this way.
Perhaps, as you are reading what I have written today, you’re asking yourself “How can I change from grim resignation to hope and expectation in my older years?” If so, I think I can help you. It’s not your age that’s important. It’s your mental attitude. So never stop dreaming! Never stop believing! Never stop expecting!
Friend, age is neither a disease nor a disaster! As one fine old gentleman said, “The lines in my face are service stripes earned through life.” That’s the spirit that keeps him young. And it will keep you young too, if you try to develop an eagle-wing image of ageing. You see, each of us is a general manager of our own life. Each person is free to dwindle toward oblivion or undertake the thrilling adventure of renewal.
Friend, if you would like a free booklet to reinforce the truth of how ageing can be a thrilling adventure of renewal, I encourage you to write to Discovering A BETTER LIFE and ask for our booklet titled: “The Wonderful Years from 66 to 100.”
Our address is: Discovering A BETTER LIFE, Unit 49/2 Plantation Street, Menora, Western Australia 6050 Or Email us at: abl-alb@omninet.net.au
“Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
(Mark Twain)
Friend, if you would like to read more human interest stories, we invite you to visit our Website Blog at:
To hear and View this ~Video~ Please click on the link below:
https://andiesisle.com/thelordsprayer.html The Glory of God is all around us!
Friend, as I conclude my message for today, please allow me to introduce you to three amazing men, (Jake Hess, James Blackwood, and Glen Payne).
These three men, through their beautiful relationship with Jesus, developed an eagle-winged image of ageing, which enabled them to experience the thrill of spiritual renewal and are now experiencing the comfort and joy of being in the safe care of Jesus in Paradise.
“Then I Met the Master”
To hear and View this ~Video~ Please click on the link below:
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