"Older"

They never, ever told me,

How I’d feel at this age,

Not that I was listening,

For the wisdom of a sage.

No, I was busy runnin’,

After that old cowboy way,

A-horseback and a-workin’,

Thought I’d never see the day,

When I’d watch others do it,

And I’d just take my time,

Thinkin’ more deliberate,

Not quick to toss my line.

But old, well maybe older,

Okay, old to some,

But not exactly finished,

And certainly not done.

And I have found some muscles,

That I never knew before,

And that’s because they’re aching,

When I walk out the door.

It might be in a finger,

Or a wrist or elbow, too,

Wherever something’s bendin’,

Seems there’s not much I can do.

I wish God had put fittings,

On all my joints you see,

So I could lubricate ‘em,

They all need some W-D.

But best to keep on goin’,

I still can cowboy up,

Till God rings the buzzer,

Trust Him to fill my cup.

And when this life is over,

Don’t look too hard for me,

I will be alive and well,

On the other side, you see.

With a body fit for heaven,

And a mount the Good Lord picks,

No more aches and bothers,

For all of this He’s fixed.

For me to live is Jesus,

And to die is gain,

Out-lived a lot of people,

And overcome some pain.

So here we are, I’m ready,

To live for Him today,

I know that He is coming,

Till then I’ll watch and pray.

“…we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope…” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NLT)

So much of life is about hope. As we get older and our lives and bodies change, so do our expectations about the future. We realize we have less time. We feel a sense of our own mortality. We aren’t finished yet, but we know the end is coming. Paul wanted the believers he addressed to be comforted by the fact that God was in charge of their future. Anyone who had died was in the presence of the Lord and when He returned they would be with Him. Their bodies would be raised first, and those who were alive would be transformed and taken home to be with the Lord. This encouraged them not to grieve like those who had no hope. What powerful words for us to remember! Be encouraged. God is in control of time and eternity.

Lord, fill our hearts with hope, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.