Greater Things are Still to Come!
“If I'm not dead, you're not done.
Greater things are still to come.”[1]
If you are an Appalachian Trail enthusiast, you may have heard of Grandma Gatewood.[2] In 1955, at the age of sixty-seven, this mother of eleven and grandmother of twenty-three was the first woman to hike all two thousand miles of the trail straight through. And then, she did it again at age sixty-nine and seventy-two!
Grandma Emma Gatewood |
I read Gatewood’s story at the precise moment I needed it. Because I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my job. Though I am near retirement age, I didn’t feel quite ready to close my laptop. “Is this all?” I began asking, “Am I done?” Then I picked up the book, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. Emma Gatewood was no super-athlete. She was a mother and grandmother who loved to walk and enjoyed spending time in the woods. Gatewood set out in a pair of Keds tennis shoes with a homemade denim bag slung over her shoulder and made history. Though I love to walk, her story did not inspire me to hike the Appalachian Trail. It did something better. Gatewood inspired me to keep setting new goals, reaching higher, and making my latter decades count for good and for God!
Yes, I am slowing down with age. We all do. That’s natural. But this doesn’t mean God writes us off as useless. Disciples of Christ never retire, nor are we limited by age. The Lord has called some of his servants to powerful works in their latter years:
- At age eighty, Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Then for forty more years, he led them through the desert wilderness to the Promised Land.
- At age eighty-five, Caleb entered the Promised Land ready to claim his inheritance. He said, “Give me this mountain. I’m just as vigorous for battle as I was at age forty.”[3]
- Around age sixty, Elizabeth birthed and raised John the Baptist, a powerful prophet who prepared hearts to receive the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.
- At age ninety-nine, while imprisoned for his faith on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation.
Though physically we may grow weaker, spiritually God is renewing us day by day.[4] He can breathe new life into old bones. There is much kingdom work to be accomplished by mature believers: sharing the Good News, standing for righteousness, mentoring younger generations, and committing to the powerful work of prayer.
Epilogue: I recently landed a new job with a Christian ministry, Love in the Name of Christ. A few years ago, I wrote a Ministry Spotlight on this organization. Not only will I continue to work, but my labors will directly serve those in need in the body of Christ.
When I asked, “Is this all?” the Lord answered, “No, Peggi, open up that laptop.” Because if we’re not dead, God’s not done. Greater things are still to come—both in this world and the next!
Dear Lord,
We ask you to renew us day by and day,
Breathe new life into these old bones.
May we will never grow weary of well-doing.
But rely on your Spirit to empower us to do mighty works
For your kingdom and your glory.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Image of Grandma Gatewood: By Stratness - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27551090
[1] “My Testimony” by Elevation Worship
[2] Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery
[3] Joshua 14:10-12
[4] 2 Corinthians 4:16
