Blog: Max Dawson
November 5, 2015
Stories about things that older folks accomplish are interesting to me. Maybe that’s because I am now one of those older folks. I used to be much younger, but I kept having birthdays and I am now 71–soon to be 72.
It has been said that everybody wants to live a long time, but nobody wants to grow old. That’s sort of a contradiction, isn’t it?
As for scoring one for the old guys, today marks the 21st anniversary of George Foreman’s win over 26-year-old Michael Moorer. At age 45, Foreman defeated Moorer in ten rounds in Las Vegas. This, of course, is the same George Foreman who sells the popular George Foreman grill.
But, the significant thing about his win in Vegas is that he became the oldest heavyweight champion ever. Foreman jokingly dedicated his upset win “to all my buddies in the nursing home.”
I am writing about this today because folks sometimes think they can’t accomplish anything as they grow older. Some folks have bought into that line that says “I am too old to _____________ (fill in the blank).” People talk about how they are too old to learn how to pray, teach the Bible, or even become a Christian. The popular saying is, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” That’s not true, and besides you are not a dog. No creature on earth has more potential that human beings.
A farmer and his wife went to bed one night. Shortly afterward, the clock in the hall struck 13 times. The farmer yelled at his wife, “Get up honey! It’s later than it’s ever been!” The hour may be late in your life, but it is never going to be this early again. You are never going to have more of your life ahead of you than you do at this present moment.
The point is, as you grow older you can’t just sit in the rocking chair on the front porch and wait for the end to come.
How much time do you have left on this earth? No one knows. The question is, what will you and I do with the time that lies ahead of us–today, tomorrow, next week, next year?
Let’s show this world that we can still score one for the old guys.
A FINAL WORD
Maybe you are still complaining that you are too old to accomplish anything. Have you ever thought about all the older people who might have thought it was too late in their lives?
Socrates did his greatest work after age 65.
Plato was a student at 50 and did his best teaching after 70.
Webster didn’t write his dictionary until he was 70.
Colonel Sanders was in his 60’s when he fried his first chicken leg.
Moses, at 80, became the leader of God’s people.
John wrote five books of the New Testament after age 65.
It’s not too late for you as long as you have breath in you body and the spark of life in your mind. God can still use you for his purposes.
Now get out there and do something!
Blessings to all,
–Max