This Is What I Want You to Know

…about the words of older saints

Many years ago, I was lamenting the choices my kids were making, and I spoke out my fears to a group of Christian women (in the form of a “prayer request.”) One of the older saints said to me, “Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much. Our kids generally turn out okay.” It was a simple word, but so reassuring because it came from a wise older woman who had already lived through it. Those words rang in my ears for many years. It was the voice of someone who knew.

As we age, we think a lot about the things we want to pass on to others. We have a real sense of the passage of time and we know that there is a limit to how long we will be on earth. Trust me, we never gave much thought to getting older when we were younger. But the day comes when certain things seem so important to say, to pass along, to share.

I’ve always been impressed by the things people tell others when they know they are going to pass into eternity sooner rather than later. Sometimes they tell secrets they held inside for their whole lives—war stories, loss, abuse, survival. Sometimes they tell family lore, or a special family recipe that no one else has. Sometimes they tell feelings or thoughts or fears they never could express before. Sometimes they give a parting word from a father to a son, a mother to a daughter. Or perhaps they welcome the chance to keep loved ones from repeating their mistakes. Often they say things that have been said before, but let’s face it—people listen better when they know these words may be the last.

Always, it is important that these things be said. The person doing the telling has inevitably had experiences from which others can benefit. They have spent a certain amount of time thinking over how to say it, and they are convinced at last that they must say it before it remains unsaid forever.

For believers in Jesus Christ, our most important thoughts and closely-held beliefs are often the primary words we want to share. If we haven’t been vocal about it in our lives, we may feel a compulsion or a sense of “rightness” about finally getting it out. We desperately want our loved ones to surrender their lives to Christ, to be with us in eternity, and to know the love of God.

Sometimes we just want our people to know what makes us tick—what God has done in us. When we can no longer speak for ourselves, we want to have our spoken or written words linger behind—hopefully as a sweet-smelling fragrance of a life lived in Christ—a life in whom the Spirit of God has dwelt.

With our many accumulated years, we want to share some things that we’ve learned about living in Christ. All kinds of topics will be shared, and we know you will find a few that resonate in your heart. These will be posted sporadically, so keep watching!

Please know that you are loved.

“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.” Psalm 71:18