p. 437 | Growing Old

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 23, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 28.

Growing Old.

SOME one has said that growing old is the worst of life. It is the worst of life if we bring no ripened sheaves to the harvest. To remain light-hearted, showing no trace of weariness as the years go on, is not an easy thing. We tire of the failure and conflicts that mark the way, and find every worldly comfort, at best, unsubstantial and unsatisfactory; and why should we grieve, except for wasted moments and lost opportunities? When youth lies far away down the backward path, and the friends who were young with us, and those who made the sunlight of our lives, are no longer near—some of them have passed on, it may be, to the other side—if Christian love has made beautiful the vanishing years, growing old will not be very dreadful.

An infidel who has been successful, financially, wrote above his office door the other day, "Life is a failure if there is nothing beyond." He has learned that earthly possessions are perishable, and is appalled at the thought of severing ties. This life is indeed the saddest of all sad failures if it is the sum of our being. We need an eternity; this life is enough for our differences and our heartaches, but not enough for our love; we need the never ending years that lie beyond. In our heart of hearts we are glad because of the promise, "I go to prepare a place for you." In the fulfillment of that promise we shall hear again the patter of tiny feet and the voices that were lost to us long ago.

If silver hairs do not become brown or gold again "over there," it will not trouble us, for each face will be radiant with immortal youth.—Sel.