"The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles!" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803-1882), 19th century American essayist, poet, philosopher, lecturer, and minister

I just checked. Guess what? It's Wednesday, May 14, 2025. There was a time in my regular way of functioning where I would have likely known without checking. Being retired, and I hate that word, but, it is what is, does tend to cause one to phase out the keeping up with every little detail in life, like the day it is, the month it is, and, yes, even the year it is. Exceptions are noted on the refrigerator where we keep our appointments calendar. We know when we attend Church, Bible Study, and choir practices, but, sometimes we have to check to see what day it is. Like today. We do have Bible study tonight. Medical appointments, birthdays, graduations, travel schedules, and things like that need to be posted so we know what we should be doing on any given day. Currently, I am working with a painting contractor to get the outside of the house painted. Lots of forth and back, but, the fellow we are dealing with seems to be trustworthy. I am also trying to recover from the shock I felt when I received the proposed bill for our house insurance. It is up 60% since 2023. Our favorite Senator, Kennedy from Louisiana says home insurance is in crisis mode which will, if unattended to, bring about a collapse. My agent tells me he has older folks on modest fixed incomes who have had to go without home insurance because of the dramatic increase in the cost. These folks are hoping not to have a major issue from storms or even a localized disaster like a fire. I am also spending quite a bit of my time getting ready to get ready to teach from the Gospel of John, a Holy Spirit inspired text written simply enough for a new believer to grasp while at the same time deep enough to drown the most gifted commentator. I enjoy doing my blogs each day. Be aware that when you read what I write you are seeing things I didn't see until they were written. I know. That doesn't make much sense, so, consider the source.

 

I actually mentioned those few items to demonstrate that being older does not mean one spends most of their day just sitting out on the veranda. (I do sit on the porch quite often with Lil Miss Biscuit.) Speaking of that it reminds me how porch visits were a common experience in my growing up days. The grownups would talk, the tiny ones would play, the older kids would listen. That's right. Listen. Quietly. In today's world the little ones do most of the talking and the adults are the ones who do most of the listening. (That's not a professional analysis, just an observation based on how it works in my own domain and others I have visited.) I think about that last chapter in the writing of Ecclesiastes where King Solomon laments the onset issues that come with reaching an old age, but, he also speaks to the thing most critical in life.

 

Ecclesiastes Chapter 12, The Problems of Old Age as rendered in the Easy to Read Version

1) Remember your Creator while you are young, before the bad times come—before the years come when you say, “I have wasted my life.”

2) Remember your Creator while you are young, before the time comes when the sun and the moon and the stars become dark to you—before problems come again and again like one storm after another.

3) At that time your arms will lose their strength. Your legs will become weak and bent. Your teeth will fall out, and you will not be able to chew your food. Your eyes will not see clearly. 4) You will become hard of hearing. You will not hear the noise in the streets. Even the stone grinding your grain will seem quiet to you. You will not be able to hear the women singing. But even the sound of a bird singing will wake you early in the morning because you will not be able to sleep.

5) You will be afraid of high places. You will be afraid of tripping over every small thing in your path. Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree. You will drag yourself along like a grasshopper when you walk. You will lose your desire, and then you will go to your eternal home. The mourners will gather in the streets as they carry your body to the grave.

6)
Remember your Creator while you are young,
    before the silver rope snaps and the golden bowl is crushed
like a jar broken at the well,
    like a stone cover on a well that breaks and falls in.
7)
Your body came from the earth.
    And when you die, it will return to the earth.
But your spirit came from God,
    and when you die, it will return to him.

8) Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!

9) The Teacher was very wise. He used his wisdom to teach the people. He very carefully studied and arranged many wise teachings. 10) The Teacher tried very hard to find the right words, and he wrote the teachings that are true and dependable.

11) Words from the wise are like sharp goads. When these sayings are written down and saved, they can be used to guide people, just as a shepherd uses a sharp stick to make his sheep go the right way. 12) So, son, study these sayings, but be careful about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you very tired.

13-14 Now, what should we learn from everything that is written in this book? The most important thing a person can do is to respect God and obey his commands, because he knows about everything people do—even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do. ~

That's some really good advice and it comes from a God inspired source, Solomon, therefore, it is worthy of our study and application. Just so you know, the studying, while it can be tedious, it is nothing compared to applying the truths to our lives, every day, even if we are not sure what day it is. Okay. That should be enough for any of us to say grace over. (Southern saying but I couldn't find much about its origin.) Until next time, remember to remember to always thank God for His mercy, grace, and love. Amen.