Those Golden years

I’ve had many people pass through my cardiac stress lab bemoaning the fact that the “golden years” were not as golden as they had imagined.

Aches, pains, surgeries, disabilities, you name it, they’ve claimed it.
(and yes, I'm there myself at times).

There’s plenty of advice you can give people.
Carpe diem,
Live today like it’s your last,
Make every day count,
Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today,

But what better advice can we give than what’s in the Bible?

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”

Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky.

Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop.

Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-6 NLT

I like this translation!
1. It’s fresh and readable.
2. It clearly illuminates the metaphors in the text.
3. With the repetition of the word “Remember”, it continually draws one back to the message, “while you are young".

The New Living Translation inserts the word, “Remember” (Hebrew = Ze-cor) into each of these verses, it’s not in the Hebrew text.

In fact, in this chapter the word is only used in the first verse in Hebrew.

Yes, I still like this version!
No, it’s not word-for-word literal it’s so much clearer.

Rob

 

Here are two stories from the office.

1. A man who retired in his mid-50's comes in for a stress test.
I asked him what he did with his time now that he has retired.
He watches T.V.
He spent his whole life waiting to retire and now all he does is watch daytime T.V.
- - - what a waste!!!
I have determined not to retire until I have to.

2. LOL in NAD (little old lady in no apparent distress) visits the doc for a routine visit, she's in her mid 90's.

"Doc", she says, "I think my best years are behind me".
He laughs and asks, "When were the best years?"
"Oh, somewhere between 45 and 85"

There you have it, life begins at 45!!!!

Rob

 

God bless you that he's using your retirement in such a productive way.
I think the whole point of the passage was to say,
"Dont wait for retirement, do it now!"

Rob