The Best Classroom in the World is at the Feet of an Elder

In my youth I was taught to respect my elders. Respect authority. Give honor to those who went before us. They have wisdom.

I know I have many times in my life looked to those elders who have wisdom for answers to things I wondered about, needed to know, wanted to understand. I remember thinking some of my teachers in school were just talking to hear themselves talk. Nothing they said made much sense, some brilliant and well versed on their subject – teaching is hard I’m sure unless you have a great passion for it. I might have been right but I also was young and inexperienced. Age has a way of providing that experience. Have you been through all there is to go through, even at an advanced age – well, no but you do gain a good perspective that allows you to know – in a general way – what to do.

Leviticus 19:32 The Message 32 “Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am God.

Things we go through are meant to be a formulation of experience and fortitude. These trials and tribulations and the exciting and wonderful are all part of the same design to get us to a point where we understand how life throws things at us, we understand that we take the good and the bad, it’s all part of the same production. I am glad for experiences that help me speak to others in a knowledgeable way. I don’t believe for one moment that if I was just a single lady with no children that I would have ever made an effective Single Parent Hometeam leader. The other part of it too is being very sure that you know – every person and I mean EVERY person has something that makes them very special. I had a man in my hometeam that grumbled, that was just how he was and how he came across. He was pretty angry at his ex for just up and leaving and not owning her responsibility. I can’t say I blame him there. Others in my hometeam just saw him as grumbly, many times I had to remind them of a few things about him that looking past the grumble allowed you to see. He was always first to volunteer when something needed to be done. He was always helping someone. He was someone I totally relied on to be there and be involved and that was a great thing in my mind. He wasn’t a perfect Dad but he genuinely loves his child and that was evident. He was always in attendance for church too. Rarely missed.

I think sometimes people are fast to dismiss someone older. Crazy old cat lady, or silly old man. I would remind you that they have walked this earth lots more than we have so we need to honor them, they were the ones who helped create the world we live in today. Perfect – no but it’s a good world. Just ask one of them some time, you might find the answer incredible because they DO have something to share. They know stuff! Oh the things they’ve seen and experienced.

None of my Grandparents are alive right now, but each one of them were a source of information, a good source for answers. At age 18 I went to Lubbock to visit my Mamaw and Nanny. Nanny is my paternal Grandmother and Mamaw is her Mom so Mamaw is my great grandmother. She lived to 100 years old. She was born in 1890 so you can imagine the things she had seen that must have been just amazing. Turn of the century, the great depression, running water in the house, electricity in the house which also meant no more outhouse, a stove, vacuum cleaner, radio broadcasting, TVs, insulin and hearing aids, talking movies, penicillin, microwave oven, Tupperware, Velcro, polio vaccine, the internet, cell phones, and more. Just thinking about it is amazing. She talked about her wedding – it wasn’t a formal go to the church with a bunch of people, she rode in the carriage with Glen they had attendants on each side also in carriages pulled up to the Pastors house and he came out to the porch to marry them, then they rode away. She was a hoot to sit and talk to. At almost 100 she still lived alone in her home, with her garden. She never drove a car – can you imagine.

I do have a special friend who is not ancient but also not a youngster either – although you ask her and I bet she says – yes I am!!! grin. She’s spunky. My friend is a wonderful source for questions, she is wise in years, she is wise in family and she is wise in the ways of the Lord. What a gift in my life. Don’t take them for granted. We need that wisdom, we need the experience they can offer. We need to hear the things they have to say because if not it’s more of the same – history repeats itself. That can be a good thing but it can also be not a good thing.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for those in our lives that enrich it. Bless them that they can and do make our lives better with wisdom and experience. In Jesus Name - Amen