I saw tonight what I’ve been longing to see for a very long time. It came in the form of an 80-year-old man with a joyful disposition and a knack for telling stories from the 60′s. The funny thing was, this man, who came wearing finely pressed slacks and the funniest velcro strapped shoes, appeared to be just an average man of 80 years. However, my assumption was quickly dismissed as I came up to meet him. The first thing I realized about him was that everywhere he went, an air of respect and authority traveled with him, not because he commanded it, but because he truly carried it.
I was able to walk him into our church as he arrived and be his “assistant” for the night, because he was teaching on the Sabbath. Now this man is an assistant pastor at a relatively well known Presbyterian church, and I had heard him speak before, but never had I been in close proximity to him.
I figured, “What a wonderful old man; he must know his stuff well.” I soon found out that not only did he know his stuff, but he was going to bless me immensely. As I guided him to his seat in the front row, he was overjoyed at the sound of worship. I think he may have outdone about 150 college-aged attendees in his zeal before the Lord. This was just the beginning.
As our pastor introduced him, the first thing he did was to ask a young couple to come to the front with their child-out of the blue. He had whispered to me during worship that he would like to pray for the newborn, but I figured he would wait until the end of the service. As the couple was walking out to take their son to the nursery, he asked them with the gentlest tone if they would come forward so that he could pray for the child and his parents. The entire room fell silent as George layed hands on the couple and blessed the child.
This special treatment of the bewildered couple and their newborn son soon turned to tears for the mother and a smile on a grateful father. It was this act that began to shatter the image I had of this man.
It soon became apparent to me that I had never seen such a man before in my life. I have seen many who walk in the power of the Spirit, but never a man who reminded me so much of Jesus himself. The natural authority with which he spoke and moved, as well as his gravitation toward children, reminded me of the man who did the same in the Gospels. It was quite compelling.
As he began to speak about the Sabbath, I began to realize that this man was the real deal. A great deal of encouragement welled up inside as I began to think about the ramifications of who this man was in Christ.
Married for 58 years; would turn 80 in a month or so; walked in the power and anointing of God like I had never seen. I can only draw this conclusion: this man is a walking picture of one who will overcome to the very end.
The grand picture in scripture shows us that those who overcome the world with all its fatal attractions and cling to the Father will inherit eternal life. But what the man named George showed me was that this is entirely possible.
Living in a world where most older folk can be lumped into the categories of: burnt out, tired, worn down by life, and bitter, George exuded Jesus in everything he did. His countenance toward children and towards God reminds me of this Apostle who in his early days was called a “Son of thunder” because of his great zeal and fiery spirit. But as John the Apostle aged physically and became a pillar in the church, his zeal and fire stayed, but the Spirit of God matured it into love. It’s very interesting that at the beginning of his life, he was a “son of thunder”, yet at the end of his life, he was called “the apostle of love”.
I very much find my faith in a place of zeal, still trying to learn what the true love of God looks like. Yet I find hope in this, that if God has transformed a man like George from a fireball to a steady roaring flame of love, he will also do the same with you and I.
May we see what God has done in those who have stayed faithful to him, and know that he has promised the same to us if we continue to hold to the faith that was preached to us at first. May we all find those people who have fought the good fight and are still fighting, even if their skin is a little wrinkly.
