Growing Old Ain't for Sissies, But God Is Still Good

Growing Old Ain't for Sissies, But God Is Still Good

Several years ago, someone asked me what I wanted most out of life. I thought about it for a moment and said, "I'd be happy if the ringing in my ears would stop and my feet would quit hurting."

Well, God has a sense of humor.

My feet don't hurt anymore because I can't feel them. The ringing in my ears is still there, but these days I've got bigger things on my prayer list.

About four years ago, my right hand began to tremble. At first, I thought it was just another part of getting older. The doctors gave me medicine that helped the tremors, but it also left me feeling like I was walking through a fog bank. I wanted answers, so the testing continued.

An MRI found a growth in my neck. After a biopsy, the doctors could not completely rule out cancer, but they decided to take a "wait and see" approach. Then came another diagnosis—Parkinson's disease.

So now, if you're keeping score, add Parkinson's to diabetes, kidney disease, congestive heart failure, neuropathy, tremors, and a hip replacement next week. It seems like I have managed to cover just about every square on the "getting old" bingo card.

Years ago, I told Laverna that I wanted us to grow old together gracefully. Looking back, I realize that graceful aging is mostly something advertised by people selling vitamins, cosmetics, and miracle supplements.

The truth is, there isn't much that's graceful about getting old.

Once I crossed that seventy-year mark, parts started wearing out, shutting down, and occasionally falling off the warranty list altogether. These days, my social calendar is filled with doctor appointments, lab tests, scans, and conversations with medical professionals. I know more about hospitals and clinics than I ever wanted to know.

Yet despite all that, I can still get around. I can still drive. I can still preach. I can still write. I can still spend time with family and friends. Most importantly, I can still serve the Lord.

When I look around, I realize there are many people carrying burdens much heavier than mine. Some live with constant pain. Some are confined to a bed. Some can no longer recognize their loved ones. Compared to many, the Lord has been exceedingly good to me.

The Psalmist declared:

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name." (Psalm 103:1 KJV)

Notice he didn't say bless the Lord only when you're healthy. He didn't say bless the Lord only when the test results are good. He said Bless the Lord at all times because God is worthy regardless of our circumstances.

Now, don't get me wrong. If these tremors stopped tomorrow, I'd be a happy man. I still pray for healing. I still ask God for strength. I still believe He is able.

But I've learned something through these trials: God's grace is not measured by the absence of problems. God's grace is measured by His presence in the middle of them.

The Apostle Paul had his own thorn in the flesh. Three times he asked the Lord to remove it. God's answer was not immediate healing but sufficient grace.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

Friend, growing old has a way of teaching lessons that youth never learn. It teaches us that our bodies are temporary. It reminds us that every breath is a gift. It humbles us and forces us to lean on God instead of ourselves.

The Bible says:

"Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you." (Isaiah 46:4 KJV)

What a promise! The same God who carried us through childhood, through middle age, through victories and failures, is the same God who will carry us through our senior years.

As I think about my own struggles with growing older, I am reminded that many of my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are carrying burdens far heavier than mine. Some are imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Some have lost their homes, their jobs, and even their families because they named the name of Jesus. Some worship in secret, knowing that discovery could mean suffering, imprisonment, or death.

When I compare my troubles to theirs, I am humbled.

The aches and pains of old age are real, but they do not compare to the suffering endured by those who are paying a price for their faith in Christ. I may spend my days visiting doctors and taking medications. Still, many believers spend their days wondering if they will be arrested, beaten, or persecuted simply because they love the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;" (Philippians 1:29 KJV)

I can only thank God for His mercy toward me. He has been far better to me than I deserve. Through every illness, every diagnosis, every test, and every uncertainty, He has never left me nor forsaken me.

My prayers today are for the faithful believers who face pain and suffering every day for the cause of Christ. I pray for those worshiping in secret. I pray for those sitting in prison cells. I pray for those who have buried loved ones because of persecution. I pray for those who refuse to deny Christ regardless of the cost.

The same God who carries us through old age is the same God who carries His people through persecution and tribulation.

The same Lord who strengthens a weary saint walking with a cane is the same Lord who strengthens a persecuted believer standing before hostile authorities.

The same Savior who walks with us through hospital rooms walks with His children through prison doors.

As the Psalmist declared:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1 KJV)

And Jesus Himself promised:

"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20 KJV)

One day these old bodies will finally give out. The hearing aids, walkers, medications, surgeries, tremors, and doctor visits will all come to an end. For the child of God, that is not defeat—it is graduation day.

As Paul wrote:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" (2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV)

So whether our trial is the burden of old age or the fires of persecution, our hope remains the same. Christ is faithful. Christ is present. Christ is sufficient.

May the Lord bless and watch over my brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering today. May He strengthen their hearts, sustain their faith, and remind them that their labor is not in vain.

And may we all remain faithful until the day we hear those precious words:

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21 KJV)

Until then, I'll keep walking, even if it is a little slower than before. I'll keep preaching. I'll keep writing. I'll keep trusting. I'll keep thanking God for every day He gives me.

Growing old may not be graceful, but God's grace is more than enough.

This has the warm, honest, country-preacher tone your readers are accustomed to, while turning your personal health journey into a testimony of gratitude, endurance, and concern for persecuted believers worldwide.