03.08.07
On Older Folks
My last two trips were combined…one to a favorite place, Park of the Palms, in Keystone Heights, FL, and then a 4-day run out to Phoenix from FL. In both stops, there were a lot of older folks, and flying back from Phoenix to FL, my thoughts turned to them.
My parents raised my brother and me to respect and love older people. And frankly, that’s one of the greatest gifts they ever gave to us. Older people have been where we are, and where we’re going. They can teach us through their mistakes, and educate us on how to recover when we make our own. They posess a wisdom that can only come through experience, and the older they get, the less this world seems to pull at them. Many came through the Great Depression, and a world war, along with many other wars. They raised their kids, and now a lot of them are being instrumental in raising their grandchildren, even great-grandchildren. I’ve always believed that our oldest are an untapped resource, a wealth of wisdom and counsel.
In my concerts, I always have a piano segment where I ask for audience favorites. It makes me smile, but often, the requests are for the same hymns, night after night. “How Great Thou Art” is seldom missed, along with “It Is Well” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. Very often, Bill Gaither’s “Because He Lives” makes the list. And yet, many times, there will be a hymn called that truly surprises me. (I should say, that when I take my first request, I tell the audience that I forgot to say that if I don’t know their favorite, they have to come up and sing a solo! So of course, when “How Great Thou Art” -usually the first request - is called out, I act dumb (which doesn’t take much 
and say “I’m sorry, but I don’t know that one. Here’s your mike!” It’s always good for a laugh.) It hits me every time, why these hymns endure, and why they remain such favorites. Life has been synthesized by these senior believers, and as they approach its end, lyrics that point us to Him are what they love the most.
In his book “The Greatest Generation”, Tom Brokaw praises the generation that helped to make America great. They saved, they worked tirelessly, they fought for the freedoms we take so much for granted, they raised their families, and were the good neighbors. They may have felt poor, but they were proud - in every good sense - and content. And then, along we came, the baby boomer generation. And to be honest, things started the downhill slide that’s now so in evidence. We’ve become selfish; we want the things that took our parents decades to aquire, but we want them now. So, we’re borrowed to the hilt, both parents have to work, and in it all, we’ve lost the sense of community, sharing, and contentment that our parents had. We are a self-centered group, and it’s apparant in our lives, our children, our lack of loyalty to an employer, (and their lack of loyalty to employees). Worst of all, most tragic of all, very few of us are willing to reverse the trend, and become like our parents and grandparents were.
Here are some things that I find in our most seasoned Christian seniors, that I wish we would emulate more…Our worship, service for the One Who owns us, faithfulness to church, a desire to serve rather than to be served. I wish we could be Godly, and contented, work hard for an honest day’s pay, and yet maintain our priorities as they have. God has to be first, along with serving Him and His people. Families must be strong, with Dad the head. I wish Moms could be at home more, nurturing and caring for the children. I wish our generations came to realize the timelessness of hymns, and how our praise should be all about Him, and not what we feel, or pledge to do for Him. These are but a few, but hopefully you see my point.
To our older friends - thank you. Thanks for the examples that you have been, even if you notice that we haven’t exactly followed them as we should have. Thank you for parting with your counsel and wise thoughts, and your experience. We listen, we really do. Maybe one of these days, as we grow older, the circle will fully turn, and we’ll practice these things like you have. Until then, don’t give up on us! God hasn’t…