STILL ON A "ROLE"

We can never resign, retire, renounce, or retreat from our responsibility as a role model. We can't quit or discontinue, outgrow, outlive our role or withdraw, give up, or abdicate even in our advanced season of life.

Like it or not, each of us is on display 24/7 as if we live our lives in a showcase window. Whatever our age, wherever we are, whatever we are doing—or not doing—someone's eyes are upon us. We have a lifelong modeling career. 

As a Christian, I am God's "Exhibit One." If I am a parent, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, a spouse, a sibling, a teacher, a public official, a leader of any sort, my role is to model Jesus Christ. But surely not when my strength is waning, when I am no longer in the mainstream of life, when I am benched for one reason or another, when I'm shut in or live obscurely, or laid aside by illness, or realize that my days are numbered—surely I'm no longer expected to be a role model? 

Oh yes I am! I still have a role to play and I'm accountable to the Lord for what I display of Him to whomever is around me. Only if we are in solitary confinement in prison do we lack the eyes of people upon us.

When I think back to my growing years of childhood and youth, I distinctly recall the people who influenced my life scores of years ago and drew me, albeit unawares, in the direction my life eventually took. Some of them never even knew me but they modeled some positive aspect of life or faith that left an indelible impression on me.

Even now in the summit season of my life there are Christian people who are role models for me. Some are confined to beds of suffering or have become aware that they are terminal, yet they display courage and endurance. They are role models of faith in God and perseverance under duress. Even someone in a hospital bed or in a care facility is surrounded with people to whom they are role models. After all, each of us is terminal from the day of our birth. We spend our lives learning how to cope with living and when we have learned that passably, we then have to learn how to die in a way to glorify the Lord. He has given us faithful role models to show us the way.

I have friends who are older than I am (hard to believe?!) and they are teaching me (although unawares) how to *age joyfully. Some people doubt that is possible; “aging” and “joy” used in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron, unrealistic. The two conditions may not come naturally, so they too must be worked on and learned with the help of our compassionate God.

Whatever season of life we find ourselves in at this very moment, we are being watched. Our loving God is watching us and watching over us empowering us to fulfill our role “in season and out of season” because others are watching us too—and we are still on a role! 

^^^^^^^ 

*AGING JOYFULLY is the title of one of the popular books I have recently reprinted because of the demand. I had the privilege of co-authoring it with my lifelong friend, Dr. Timothy Starr. I could easily attach a “money back guarantee” to it because I am so sure that whatever your age, or the age of the family member or retiring friend for whom you will purchase it, it will prove meaningful.

So I'm offering another “Bundled Bargain.”

The price of AGING JOYFULLY is $12.95 a copy and I am bundling it with a free copy of a 200 page companion book AGING CHALLENGES by Dr. Starr--as long as copies last. The books will come in a 2-day priority postal box for which S/H is $8.00.

Order by email leonachoy@gmail.com or phone 540-877-1813 and send your check payable to Leona Choy 497 Devland Dr. Winchester, VA 22603 or use your credit card through paypal.me/LeonaChoy.

Hurry! Stock is limited! You may want to order more copies!