Listen in as Joni has some encouragement for you about older age – something to look forward to!
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SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.Today Joni has an encouraging story about older age.
JONI: And it’s not only encouraging, but there’s a great Bible verse that goes with it, something that every senior enjoys reading. And it’s from Philippians 1:21 and 24; it says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” You know, you don’t have to be a senior, an older person, to love that verse. Believe me I desire to depart and be with Christ in my wheelchair believe me, I desire to depart and be with Christ. But there’s the rest of that sentence; yet it is more necessary that I remain.
You know whenever I think about that, I recall my grandmother who lived to be a ripe old age – so old, in fact, that as a teenager I wondered why God allowed her to linger in so much suffering. Grandmother Landwehr had to leave her cherished home to come live with us. My sister, Jay, moved out of her bedroom and in with Kathy and me. My siblings and I ran errands for Grandmom, we read to her, we took on extra chores so that our mother would be free to tend to extra laundry, cleaning and cooking. Grandmother Landwehr changed our family dynamics. Some might say that was a bad thing. But for our family, having my grandmother live with us was a very good thing. Because her presence with us, and all that that it entailed, required that my sisters and I become a lot less self-focused.
As my Lutheran grandmother lie in bed, she probably prayed those words from Philippians 1. She probably told God in her prayers: “Oh Lord, I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” But it was more necessary for us, my sisters and me, that she remain, that she stay with us, that she linger in our home and not rush off to heaven before the appointed time. It was necessary because her presence helped change the character of me and my sisters. We became more giving, we became more flexible, more understanding, more patient; we learned how to serve despite the inconvenience. All this to say, sometimes our suffering is mostly for the benefit of others. God did not “take my grandmother home” before He had taught us how to serve selflessly.
Now here’s the thing. Was God only “using” my grandmother’s hardship for our benefit? Oh, hardly! Because Paul explains later in verses 25 and 26; He says, “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Jesus will overflow [now listen to this], your joy will overflow on account of me.” Wow! God accomplished much in my life through my grandmother and it is all was accrued to her eternal account. Grandmom didn’t even know it, but oh, what an investment she made in my life. And God [as generous as He is] will compensate her in eternity, He will reward her for the lessons that we learned.
SHAUNA: May we understand that one of the primary reasons we go through suffering; it’s to benefit others. True, our sufferings may not seem to benefit us at the time, but we must not forget that godly responses to hard times not only do us good, they do good for all those around us.
© Joni and Friends