This past week at our church, I talked about living with a purpose ... being a player in the game as opposed to being a spectator. The great tragedy today is that, in the midst of so many distractions, many people fritter their lives away in trivialities, and fail to live out the purpose for which they were created.
I was struck as I preached the sermon by the fact that a number of those present were of retirement age, and they might have been wondering how much the message applied to them. We tend to think that messages about "living with purpose" and "investing your life in things that matter" are important for younger people to hear. But older people don't need to hear this ... and in fact, it might be discouraging for them, because it will cause them to feel regrets about the past.
I don't agree with that at all.
As long as we're alive, we have a purpose. Each season in our lives offers its own opportunities to bless and serve the people around us. If we're still here, it's because God is not through with us, and we still have a mission.
I might have shared this story before, but I love it so much, I'm going to risk sharing it again. It's been a perspective-changer for me. I hope it will be for you as well. It was written by a 95 year old man, and published in a Korean newspaper in 2008:
I really worked hard when I was young. As a result, I was recognized for my skills and respected. I was able to retire, proudly and confidently, at the age of 65 thanks to that. I shed such tears of regret 30 years later, though, on my 95th birthday.
My first 65 years were proud and honorable, but the 30 years of my life since then have been full of shame, regret, and bitterness.
After retiring, I thought, "I have now lived my life. Any years I have left are just a bonus." With that thought in mind, I just waited for a painless death. I lived such a pointless, hopeless life for some 30 years.
Thirty years are a long time, one third of my 95 years of life so far.
When I retired, if I had thought that I could live another 30 years, I really would not have lived that way.
It was a great mistake then for me to think that I was old, that it was too late for me to start something.
I'm 95 years old now, but I have a clear mind. I may live 10 years, 20 years more.
I'm now going to start studying language, which is something I've wanted to do. I have just one reason for this . . . It's so that, on my 105th birthday 10 years from now, I won't regret not starting anything new when I was 95.
The person who wrote this was Dr. Seokgyu Kang, founder of Korea's Hoseo University. He made good on his word ... he re-engaged in study and service, and at the age of 100, was found standing on podiums, sharing the wisdom he'd learned in life. He passed away at the age of 103.
Writing about Dr. Kang, the Korean self-help guru Ilchi Lee said: "When he was 95, he knew that he hadn't had a design for his later years and regretted it. Whether long or short, time just flows by unless we live consciously. There is a Korean saying: "Water flows where directed." Where will the water of your life flow? The time has come to create a new stream for it to follow."
None of us knows how our lives are going to unfold. We are not promised tomorrow, let alone decades. We could live to be 53 or 103. The point is to make each day count ... but also to continue one's focus on growing and contributing, even in our "old age."
We might die young, but we might live a long time. What will we do with those years?
As Catherine Pulsifer writes in her article
How Old are You,
"Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse. 'I'm to old too start something new', or, 'I couldn't learn that at my age.' Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest accomplishments in life in later years."
Before I close, I need to acknowledge that, for many people, old age is dominated by health struggles that zap their vision, strength, and hope. Just getting through the day can be a struggle. That being said, even in the midst of our struggles late in life, it's amazing how strong our influence can be.
"The finest gift a man can give to his age and time is the gift of a constructive and creative life." - Wilferd Peterson
