Thoughtful Thursdays

Here is a story shared by Allyson Broka on Honoring the Aged.

Leviticus 19:32 Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

I don't know why, but I have always had a tender affection for old people. I actually enjoy being around them. So I was delighted when the book we were reading for school this week had to do with the elderly. A theme I highlighted from the book was how when we are young, most people love, respect, and adore us...especially if we are gifted at something or physically good looking. But then we grow old and people withhold their affections and respect. Perhaps because they were never taught or because our culture does not value people that don't appear to have anything to offer them.

Being respectable seems to be lost amongst our young. I know my young family certainly struggles with it, I struggle with it....perhaps most of us struggle with giving honor to whom it is due. So this week I really tried to hone in on how we should honor specifically the old. I went to talk to my 'old' (not really old) neighbors about visiting some of their elderly family and to my great surprise they told me about a Senior Luncheon they were having at their church. Perfect! We painted pictures and passed them out at the Luncheon. We had such a great time. We met one lady who was 90 years old, still lives by herself, has chickens and a garden. She even knows how to shoot a gun and will use it when necessary. She told me, "They say you shoot the feet, but not me, I go straight for the eyes." She is the one in the pink dress and she was quite reluctant to have her picture taken.

The old folk don't care what you look like or how you are dressed. They are just glad you are there and will just come up and start talking to you. Wow, that was so refreshing. I felt so comfortable there and they gave me such a gift today. We went to show them honor and instead I felt like we were shown such honor and respect. I hope my kids learned something today....that old people are still very much alive, still able to give and receive, still able to learn from, and still worthy of our respect and honor.