Old but not Useless

“Cast me not off in the time of old age: forsake me not when my strength faileth.”
 (Psalm 71:9)

Failing strength comes with old age. But old age does not mean that one is useless. I bought my first car in 1957 from an automobile salvage dealer who would later become my father-in-law. It was a 1941 Plymouth, business coop. The paint was dull. One of the tires had a “boot” in it between the inner tube and the casing covering a huge cut. All of the rubber seals around the doors and trunk lid were full of holes so you had better not drive it on dusty roads. It rattled. Neither the speedometer nor odometer worked. It dripped oil and smoked. But that old car could take me from point “A” to point “B” as well as a brand new Cadillac. It was my “dream” car. What do you expect for $65.00?

Many an old Christian has been abandoned to the salvage yard, considered useless by everyone except God. God sees some more miles in us. He does not cast us off just because we have gotten old. The Sunday School Director in our church is past eighty. One of our active deacons is eighty-three. Our organist is around eighty. Our Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School class does acts of benevolence for other folks. By the way, wasn’t Moses eighty years old when he started leading Israel? Caleb was past eighty when he assumed his task.

Our church is better off because of these folks that God has taken from the salvage yard and put to good use. Wave your hand from the back of the salvage yard and let God know you are volunteering your old age for His service.