When I get up in the morning, I feel achy, not to mention grouchy because the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage mentions that. I get up feeling old and dreary. I wallow in despair, thinking how old I really am and not knowing what to do with it. Oh, poor me, woe is me. I had an appointment across town to get the blood work done and got there well before my appointment. Therefore, I had to sit in the waiting room until my appointment time. I usually take a book with me to read because I know that doctors, as educated as they are, do not seem to know how to tell time. While I was quietly reading my book, all of a sudden, I heard a bang and the door fl ew open and in came a woman with a walker. I will not say she was an old woman, but youth was in her past as far back as you possibly could go. When she came in, the whole atmosphere of that room changed and not in the positive. As soon as her head got through the door, you could see a grimace on her face to beat all grimaces. It scared me at fi rst. I have never seen such a mean looking face. Then she begins snarling. “Get out of my way. Where’s my doctor? I want to see him now.” I was fi nally settling down and back to my book when the door opened again. In walked an older gentleman, and I use the word gentleman, very carefully, with a cane. He rumbled up to the window to sign in and the lady politely asked who he was. Looking at her with eyes that would have scared a tiger he said, “Who do you think I am?” That is not all he said, but some words I would not want to repeat even in the dark. He signed his name and then hobbled over to take a seat and then glanced at me and said, “What are you staring at?” Again, I cannot use all the words he used. Casually, I looked around the room and saw most of the people were old and nobody looked very happy. When they walked up to sign in, they limped. When the nurse came to take them back to see their doctor, they staggered and limped. At the time, I did not know what to do. Then a smile began creeping across my face. I had to be careful that I did not laugh aloud. A wonderful thought danced in my mind. Looking around very carefully I noticed one stunning fact. That fact was, I am not as old as I thought I was. When I got up that morning, I felt old and decrepit. Now I was around people that were really old. Compared to them, I was a babe in swaddling clothes. I then remembered what David said. “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and fl ourishing” (Psalm 92:14). I am at the place now where I can begin to enjoy the fruit of my old age. [Dr. James L. Snyder, pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage in Ocala, FL. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church website is www.whatafellowship.com |
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