Aging

OK, so I am officially old. I find myself talking more to my peers about the subject of personal health. I said that I would never do this, but here I am at 64 years talking about this aching bone or muscle with friends. It is probably their fault, because I am sure that I would never bring up such a subject—not!

I am a Boomer. Each year more than 3.5 million Boomers turn 55. Their swelling numbers made America’s 50 and older population reach 100 million during 2012. According to the UN Population Division, 1 in 5 people are expected to be 65 or older by 2035. I don’t figure I will still be walking around and counted as one of the 1 in 5, so those stats don’t faze me very much. However, some of my children are reading this post and the point is this: what are y’all going to do with all those old people?

Many of our friends are either retiring or thinking about retiring soon. From my perspective retiring is not all that it is played up to be. I am sure that there are plenty of people who really enjoy retirement. They are probably those who were smart enough to frugally tuck financial resources away so that they could live very comfortably in their retirement. I enjoy doing things with some friends who are retired—I think they may be a bad influence on my work ethic because when I go somewhere with them they are not in as big a hurry as I am.

I listen to them talk about how they are enjoying their retirement, and I am very happy for them. But I am not sure that I want to retire.

I am not foolish enough to believe that I can work when my health is failing and I begin to lose my mind. But I just want to work as long as I am able to do so. I love to work. I love my job. I love going to work. I want to continue working until I die.

In a Labor Day speech to the New York Agricultural Association in 1903, Teddy Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing; and this is a prize open to every man…”

I am very happy that my work is worth doing.

 “So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” Ecclesiastes 3:22 NIV

Saddle sore

The grandkids have often asked me why I don't have a horse, and I have told them that first of all they eat too much and they ruin a pasture for grazing other livestock.  The other reason I give is that they have to be ridden often, and I would be the one to ride them several times a week.

I grew up riding horses. My family had horses and Shetland ponies at one time or another for many years. Caring for animals is something that I have always enjoyed, but I loved riding horses during junior high and high school. 

Collin has been wanting to ride horses for a long time, and I promised him over a year and a half ago that I would take him to some friends’ farm to ride.  He didn't nag me about going, but he has been regularly reminding me about this promise. 

My friend, Buddy (I wrote previously about him), and his family live on a cattle and horse farm in east Tennessee, and they had invited us to come to see them and ride horses. We had a great time with them one weekend recently, and we rode a LONG TIME! It was a lot more riding than I had bargained for, but, hey, Collin was very happy. 

Oh my! Was I ever sore! I don't ever remember being sore during those years of growing up with horses--probably because I rode so often? No, more than likely because I am 50 years older now!

I read recently that John Wesley spent 53 years riding a horse and preaching. Okay, so let's say he started riding and preaching when he was 15 years old--he rode until he was older than I am now. That is called suffering for the Lord.  

John Wesley planted 500 churches and 140,000 people came to faith in Jesus over those 53 years of horse-back riding. He had incredible perseverance.

Hudson Taylor once said: "Every challenge has three stages: impossible, difficult, and done. The hardest stage is the difficult stage because it takes perseverance." Many of us give up when a task gets to be difficult. 

As I look back over the last few months I am asking myself, "Have I persevered through a difficult task and called it done?" 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:1-2