When we arise to face a new day, do we ever wonder what our demeanor and attitude will be during the day? Do we ever think about how we are going to affect those around us? Many of us will never respond to these questions because we have not had our coffee yet.
Isn’t it amazing that we possibly use some stimulate to help us determine our outlook on the day? When I wake up in the morning, the very first thing I do is thank the Lord for another day of life. My wife says her prayers before she gets out of bed and then will go to her chair for her Bible reading and devotional time. Of course, we are senior adults, and we realize that without talking and listening to our Lord and Savior, our day seems to be unfulfilled. He has blessed us immensely.
There are many things we have learned over our lifetimes. I was recently reminded through a Facebook post by one of my friends of some things we have learned, and as I reminisced over my years of life, I found them to be true.
One of the best things I remembered, and this is so true, is that the best classroom and wisdom comes from the feet of the elderly. Oh, how I miss the stories of my parents, my wife’s parents, and many, many others that now have gone on to be with the Lord. The valued experiences through their lifetimes are now gone and I wish that I had paid more attention to them when they wanted to talk, and I was just too busy to listen.
Proverbs 1:8 tells us, “My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.”
The younger generation of today is just as my generation when I was earning a living for my family. We did not find time to listen to what the older generation was saying. Their time seems to be more valuable in doing and paying attention to things that seem urgent as society dictates to them. Most of them will learn as I did, that simple walks around the block with my father when I was a child have done wonders for me as an adult.
I also learned that life is like toilet paper: the closer is gets to the end, the faster it goes. Many of us have learned that money does not buy class.
One of the best things I have learned is that it is the small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I have also learned that under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
As a journalist, and I wish many of the journalists of today would learn this, I learned that to ignore the facts does not change the facts. Everyone needs to learn that love, not time, heals all wounds.
The best thing I ever learned came from a publisher I once worked for. He told me to be successful in management I need to hire good people, then get out of their way and let them do their jobs. It is also known that the easiest way for me or anyone to grow, is to surround ourselves with people smarter than we are. Most of the time this comes from our senior adults who have become wise through their experiences of life. Many will also acknowledge their lives were one lived because God allowed it to happen.
What about you? How are you when you are around others? Will they look to you for guidance and wisdom? Whether you are young or old, live in the wisdom of the Lord and read His guide to a productive and good life, which comes from His Word, the Bible.
