Have a Ministry in Your Golden Years

I just returned home yesterday from being with my mother in Seattle this past weekend to celebrate her 95th birthday. She’s doing well, no physical problems, still walks on her own, and has long gray hair, so it is not totally white. She still has her mind and fairly good memory. We expect her to go to at least a hundred.

My eldest sister lives in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle. She finally convinced mother eight years ago to sell her house in West Seattle and move into an assisted living home in Kirkland. Mother worried about losing some independence and just generally whether or not she would like it. It turned out that she loves Madision House and all the people there. She does all of the many activities it offers. So, when I’ve visited mother the past few years, she introduces me to practially everyone who lives at Madison House.

Sunday, I went with her to attend the worship service at the Lake Washington Methodist Church. It is located about seven miles from Madison House, yet mother makes the effort to go there every Sunday. That is only made possible by a few church lady volunteers giving her a car ride.

So, with good health my mother stays busy. That is surely a key to growing old successfully. I heard over the weekend that some elderly people often ask themselves why they are still living, that there seems to be no purpose to it. That, of course, is sad.

I think another key for Christians to survive in the golden years is to have a ministry. What kind? Find something you like to do that benefits others. Here’s my formula for discovering your spiritual gift or gifts and thereby having a ministry. Ask yourself three questions. First, what do I like to do? Second, what kind of results to I get from doing it? Third, what do others think of my doing it? If you get positive answers for all three questions regarding some particular activity, consider developing it into a ministry that you can do for a long time, perhaps even into your golden years. Of course, some ministries you can’t do when you get old. Prepare for that time by developing something you can continue to do then.