I did something last Sunday that I have done on a number of occasions which I want to recommend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
You are probably thinking I am about to recommend Church. In an increasingly confused age without hope I would always recommend church. Why would I not recommend the God who lay down his life for sinful people like me?
Why would I not recommend the hope of forgiveness from God, the promise of a fresh start relationally with God, the wisdom of God for living in a confused age and the hope of spending eternity with God as opposed to being away from God? Jesus Christ comes highly recommended.
However, the something I did last Sunday that I recommend was spend some time with people in their senior years.
Of course, they might in fact suggest that at 62 I am no spring chicken and that would be correct. I would however answer, that apart from my wife, I was in fact the youngest in this chook house.
MORE FROM RICK LEWERS:
To some recommending spending time with the aged may not be all that exciting but the some would be wrong.
One independent oldie, old enough to be my mother, talked to me about the football and her love of the Roosters. I reminded her with the agility of a younger mind of my loyalty to the South Sydney Rabbitohs with a recap of the recent 60-8 score line.
Without pause, and with what I think was a cheeky smile, the dignity of a sharp mind asked me about Sam Burgess and the issues surrounding cocaine sniffing and abuse.
With the victories on the field now behind me I used my agile mind to change the subject and to cattle farming we turned. Her grace in letting me change the subject indicated more depth to her than I found in myself.
She was not the only one with whom this younger man shared a coffee. Around the socially distanced table setting, laughter indicated the years of developed humour that seemed not just to be humorous but a reflection on life both good and bad.
Recent funerals, chemo therapies, broken relationships, lack of sleep on the first day of daylight saving and the effect of it on farming, the purchase of a boat, the morning sickness accompany pregnancy and the mastitis to follow birth offered moments of fascination.
Personally, I didn't find mastitis all that fascinating except when the cattle breeder invited us to consider her cows. I have learnt as a Bishop that there are times when one should not "udder" a word! LOL. All around me were years of living and a humour that seemed to understand living and was educative in meeting life head on.
All had their opinions but none felt insecure when opinions were tested. None declared, "I'm offended" with a view to silencing the opinions of others. There was a unique kind of wisdom to their listening as though being old did not preclude you from growing.
There was also patience with others despite their differences. One thing was noticeable and it was that all of them would have recommended church and the wisdom, patience and love of Jesus Christ. In fact their example in conversation and life seemed to be taken from Him.
I want to recommend time spent with the aged of our community. Truth is not the prerogative of the old but the wisdom of years can be helpful when facing the future.
I recently listened to a cover of Jamie O'Hara's song entitled Grandpa by Music Travel Love.
It might suggest a little too nostalgic view of the past but it does speak to something many are searching for:
Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days.
Sometimes it feels like this world's gone crazy.
Grandpa take me back to yesterday when the line between right and wrong didn't seem so hazy.
Did lovers really fall in love to stay and stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept, not just something they would say and then forget?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Grandpa tell me 'bout the good old days.
Grandpa, everything is changing fast. We call it progress, but I just don't know.
Those good old days, though not perfect, may just be a judgement upon us all.