04 August 2008

When I Am Old

- provided God allows me to linger on this earth - and sitting in some home somewhere, I hope my children will never keep truth from me. I hope that no misguided desire to spare me suffering will lead them to let me live in what they might foolishly conceive as blissful ignorance. Suffering is part of this life. Bad news is all too frequent. And no one knows this like the elderly themselves. They've lived through so many tears and heartaches!

When I am old and gray, I pray my children will remember that the sorrows of this age CANNOT crush the one who has faith in Him who died for our sin and rose from the dead in an incorruptible body to be our very life. Bad news there is a plenty in our world, and it comes crashing in huge waves the older we get, it seems. But there is no bad news that is stronger than the Gospel, and there is no suffering we will be called to go through that cannot be sanctified by the blessed fellowship of our Savior's cross. More than conquerors, we, through Him who loves us!

10 comments:

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Amen.

Providing, of course, we are still able to understand anything. Othewise, there's no point.

Jon said...

thanks. I needed to hear or read this today.

William Weedon said...

Anastasia,

Yes, indeed. I was thinking of the situation where the mind is quite fine. My heart goes out to you in your situation - I remember how terrible my own mother's battle with alzheimer's was. Last time I fed her she looked at me with nothing but suspicion and no recognition that I was her son at all. And hospice - well, don't get me started!!!

Jon,

I'm glad it met a need, but I'm sorry it had to.

Fr. Gregory Hogg said...

Just one question--

What do you mean, "when"?

:-)

(Although I am a little older than you...)

William Weedon said...

Fr. Gregory,

Yes you ARE older than I, and don't forget it!

I love you, you old fool for Christ!

Anonymous said...

awww Fr. Hoog took my comment.
you're when happened...about 10 years ago. :)

Doorman-Priest said...

Fr. Hoog beat me too.

What does this say about how your readership sees you?

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

William Weedon is a youngster!

Eek! What does that make the rest of you, who think him old???

Old doesn't even begin before 70.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Actually, I'd like very much to get you started about hospice, if you wouldn't mind too much. By way of a reality check, you know; comparing notes helps.

Perhaps in a private e-mail??
anastasiatheo01@verizon.net

Thanks!

Rev. James Leistico said...

I can't remember if it was Senkbeil or Meilander who wrote an article titled something like, "I want to be a burden for my kids"