Story
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Alison and I went to a park and playground near my church yesterday. She enjoyed taking a stroll at the park and playing with the monkey bars, the swing and the slide. I was reminiscing.
As a kid, I absolutely adored the playground. Not only that, I was pretty much as wild as a monkey. I would play with the monkey bar until my hands literally started to bleed and skin started to get ripped out, developing a lot of calluses. I would go to the extreme on the swings, get as high into the air as possible, and then take a leap of faith in midair. My mom used to get upset at me for playing too crazily at the playground, because she would have to patch my wounds. Going down the slide with my head first was also fun for me. That's me when I was a kid. I am sure there are a lot of boys like me who would do these kind of things.
While I was at the playground reminiscing, reality struck me - I can no longer do what I used to do as a kid. Now my hands hurt, and I pulled a muscle on my arm while playing on the monkey bars. I also can't muster up enough courage to do anything extreme. I'm too big for the playground. Indeed, I am getting old.
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Overview
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I was pondering about getting old for some time. People do not like the idea of getting old. People do their best to preserve their youthful looks, which is where most of the money is spent in this world. There is fear about getting old because getting old means that you're getting closer to your death. Getting old means that you're growing wrinkles or "not-so" beautiful or handsome. Getting old means you're loosing strips of hair and growing white hair. Most of us do not look forward to getting older.
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What The Bible Says
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The Bible presents growing old as something that is very normal and a natural part of life. There is splendor and dignity in growing old (Proverbs 16:31 and Proverbs 20:29).
The Bible presents growing old as a reminder that life is short and temporary. James reminds us that in everything that we plan, we are not to be proud about it as if these plans would happen. We are to be humble, and if God wills, then may we be able to do the things that are planned (James 4:13-17).
The Bible, specifically the book of Ecclesiastes, presents growing old as a way to inform us about what the meaning of life is and what kind of legacy we are passing on. I believe Solomon was the one who penned down Ecclesiastes near the end of his life. Solomon was the wealthiest and most successful man in the history of mankind. Solomon even owned a harem (1 Kings 11:3). The book of Ecclesiastes is a testimony of Solomon's life, and he's providing wisdom to us about life and informing all of us that life without God is vanity.
The Bible presents growing old as a process that serves a direction in life, which is death. Death does not have to come by growing old, but whichever way we die - whether it's by natural causes or not - we will face judgment immediately (Hebrews 9:27). There will not be any second chances. In addition, Jesus promised His people that He will return to wrap up history (John 14:2-4). Anything that happens to us at this hour may be the last thing we will do, and Jesus is calling us to repent or perish. (Luke 13:1-5)
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Conclusion
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The Bible teaches us a lot more about growing older. I am technically just thinking out loud in this entry. We cannot control time and we cannot control how we age. Hopefully this entry serves as a reminder for all of us about life. Life is indeed fragile, but no one knows the depth of their own fragility.
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