Toil & Trouble...Time Marches On!

Here it is two weeks from my 69th birthday and boy, am I thankful! You see, last week, I got to play golf twice in one week …a real treat for a former golf professional; however, I do remember how sore I was the day after my second round. I mean, even the few hairs on my head where sore and I seemed to ache in places I had forgotten I had.

Now, I am not complaining as I am sometimes prone to do; rather stating fact that as we get older, the things that once we did so easily may cause us some discomfort if we over indulge. Someone once said that “Age is a state of mind” and “You are only as old as you feel”…well, last week, I felt pretty old and my mind seemed to focus on that ….which left me in a pretty sad state.

Until I read a scripture in Psalms 90: verses 10 & 12, “ The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone and we fly away….So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

That’s what we each need as we grow older and our bodies begin to let us down….A HEART OF WISDOM. We need to number our days and make each one count for our Lord. He has set before us a task or a good work that only we can accomplish and we can’t let a failing body or a slowing mind keep us from doing what God has purposed us to accomplish for His Kingdom. So be wise in the way you treat your body….give it good nutrition, plenty of sleep, appropriate exercise and above all, ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

The poem that follows is for all of you that need to keep pushing ahead …..IN SPITE OF what lies ahead or has happened in the past, keep

Living LARGE,
WPQ


IN SPITE OF...

All my life, how I loved to play
I'd be out the door at the break of day;
Goin' fishin' or swimmin' or joggin’ ‘round the track;
I always aimed to get ahead by not lookin' back.

I was smart and eager and always willin' to try
To prove to others I was a really "great guy."
I could leap tall buildings in a single bound;
No nothing in this world was gonna keep me down.

But lately I've noticed I get really short of breath
Walkin' cross the room to turn on the TV set;
And my arms aren't as long as they might need to be
If I want to read the sports page while I watch TV.

Yeah, I used to primp after every morning shower
Combin' and blow dryin’ for nearly half an hour;
But those days are gone; they were really quite a drag;
I accomplish the same thing...but now I use a wash rag.

I used to love to shoot hoops or beat a punchin' bag;
But where I once had muscles; well, it's all turned to flab.
So, I've tried these diets that they say are the rage;
But to keep me from food, you have to lock me in a cage.

My spirit's sturdy and I've still got my nerve,
But where I once had lines, they've all turned to curves;
My hearing's fadin' and my handshake's not as hearty;
I'm just a young man trapped in an old man's body.

So, let me say to you guys who face the ravages of time...
Sit back, relax and with this thought sublime;
Prop up your feet, while you sip your favorite toddy...
BE A YOUNG MAN ALWAYS...in spite of an old man's body.

William Patrick Queen
Copyright 1990