Here are a few beatitudes for friends of those growing old. Blessed are they who understand my faltering steps and my palsied hands, who know my ears must strain to hear what they have to say. Blessed are they that know my eyes are dim and my wits are slow, who look away when my coffee spills at lunch. Blessed are they who with a cheery smile stop to chat for a little while, and never say you told that story twice today. Blessed are they who make it known that I’m loved, respected, and not alone. We read in the book of Ruth how the neighbors of Naomi cheered this elderly woman. After losing her husband and two sons, she was destitute. Hearing that the famine in her hometown was over, she returned with Ruth, her daughter-in-law. Back home, God graciously provided a husband for Ruth. When a son was born, Naomi held him in her arms. The local women said to her, “[This child] is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” God gave Naomi a new family. Her fear of no support in her old age was gone. God often overrules in our affairs to work his purposes, especially for those who claim Him as their Savior and Lord.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
