Zechariah 8:4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age.”

Senior adults need to pay attention to the fact that this was spoken as a huge blessing to Jerusalem. We make a cult of youth, when the Bible sees blessings in each age bracket. We forget that even a hundred years ago the average life expectancy was drastically less than it is today. Our bodies do wear out over time, but over all we are far healthier far longer than any preceding generation. Rather than mourning lost abilities/mobility, there needs to be gratitude for all that is left, and the assistance that is available to make the most of it. Every age bracket tends to take what they have for granted, forgetting to be grateful. That’s tragic! Without gratitude there is no real appreciation, and thus reduced enjoyment. Failing to be grateful for all of God’s blessings robs us of them, even though they might still be physically present.

This is very close to home in a number of ways. For myself, I have already passed my father’s record by almost two years, and I look set for quite a few more. I also have a friend who will be 93 in a couple of months. He has to use oxygen, but he is grateful it is readily available, and says he is aiming for 100. At the same time, I know people who bemoan every ache and pain and the fact that their bodies aren’t as they once were, and they are fairly miserable. I don’t know when, or if, I will need to use a cane as this verse speaks of, but I plan to get a good looking one when the time comes! I am learning to accept, and even ask for, the assistance of younger people for things that used to be done without thinking, and that has not been easy. I am to keep my focus on my God and know that He is faithful, even when it is time to pack this tent up and dispose of it. (2 Corinthians 5:1, 4)

Father, thank You for Your amazing faithfulness. Thank You for the blessings You pour out, one upon another. Help me recognize, appreciate, and give thanks for each one, never focusing on negatives but always on Christ my Lord, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!