I sat with an older man in my study this morning. He's a good friend. He talked about how hard it has been to grow old. He loves to work, but he simply can't do what he has always done. He laughed as he talked, but it was obvious that he is not very happy about his life right now.
"My body is falling apart," he said sadly. "I can't do what I want to do. I just don't have the energy."
I'm not quite as old as my friend, but I can sense some of the same things in my life. Some days, it's hard to get started. And often I bring the day to a close feeling tired and spent. I don't remember feeling that way before.
Last night as I turned off the lights at church, I stood for a while and watched some of our children running up and down the hall. Another adult noticed the same thing and made this comment, "Boy, if we could just bottle some of that energy, we'd be fine!"
Evidently, something happens to our energy as we get older.
On Tuesday evening this week, Julie and I saw the Young Americans at the high school. This traveling troupe visits Alpena every few years. The last time they were here was when Molly was in eighth grade. The Young Americans lead workshops for local young people - and those workshops culminate in a big show. And Tuesday night was that show.
It was a wonderful production. Remarkable talent was on display, but what impressed me most was . . . the energy. When the show was over, I was exhausted - simply from watching the young people sing and dance and move. At the end of the evening, I shuffled out of the auditorium, wondering if I had ever had energy like that.
And I'm sure I did - when I was younger.
It doesn't always work out this way, but often young people have energy but very little wisdom. It doesn't always work out this way, but often older people have wisdom, but very little energy.
Today, I'm wondering what it would be like to have both wisdom and energy at the same time . . .
I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel yet. God willing, I still have a few more days. And my hope is that I'll conjure up enough energy to do whatever it is that God has put in my path. Maybe I won't be able to move around like the young people that I've watching these past few days, but I am fully aware that there are some pretty important things still to be done.
And I am quite certain that God will give me whatever energy I might need to accomplish the tasks that he has put in my hands.
As I reflect on that conversation with my friend this morning, I hope that he finds some renewed energy . . . because he still has a lot to offer. He still has things that he would like to do. He isn't quite finished living yet.
So my prayer for him - and for me - is this: enough wisdom to know what ought to be done and enough energy to do it.
If that were to happen, that would be enough . . .
It was a wonderful production. Remarkable talent was on display, but what impressed me most was . . . the energy. When the show was over, I was exhausted - simply from watching the young people sing and dance and move. At the end of the evening, I shuffled out of the auditorium, wondering if I had ever had energy like that.
And I'm sure I did - when I was younger.
It doesn't always work out this way, but often young people have energy but very little wisdom. It doesn't always work out this way, but often older people have wisdom, but very little energy.
Today, I'm wondering what it would be like to have both wisdom and energy at the same time . . .
I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel yet. God willing, I still have a few more days. And my hope is that I'll conjure up enough energy to do whatever it is that God has put in my path. Maybe I won't be able to move around like the young people that I've watching these past few days, but I am fully aware that there are some pretty important things still to be done.
And I am quite certain that God will give me whatever energy I might need to accomplish the tasks that he has put in my hands.
As I reflect on that conversation with my friend this morning, I hope that he finds some renewed energy . . . because he still has a lot to offer. He still has things that he would like to do. He isn't quite finished living yet.
So my prayer for him - and for me - is this: enough wisdom to know what ought to be done and enough energy to do it.
If that were to happen, that would be enough . . .