Catching Up With My Elders

I’ve always had lots of older people in my life, senior citizens who lived well into their 90s and several who have passed the 100 mark. I’ve attended church with many wonderful elderly folks over the years. And I always felt at home in multi-generational gatherings of family and friends. I’ve never lacked relationships with “old people.”

Is it possible that some of those folks were actually about the age I am now? When a kid sees someone in their 60s or 70s, they think they have found the embodiment of the word “ancient.” But now that I’m 72, do the children in our neighborhood and church think of me as “ancient”? (Now that’s a distressing thought!)

So today, as I remember some very remarkable men from my college days, it occurs to me that they, too, might have been as ancient as 60 when I knew them! They were Frank Kline and M.B. Miller, professors at Seattle Pacific College.

Joy Influencers

Dr Kline was a big man with a big personality. Years later, when we were next door neighbors, he told me of a time when he was sick and skinny. Robust was better, he told me with a smile. He laughed easily and listened well.

As a missionary in India for many years he founded a Bible school that is going strong today. His wife Betty was a beloved Bible teacher in Seattle. 

My fondest memories of Dr Kline, whether on campus or in the neighborhood, revolve around joy. He was an animated Bible professor, a gracious host, and a dear friend. This smitten grandpa loved to share missives and stories from his grandkids. And he always enjoyed a rousing table game after a delectable dinner.

I couldn’t be in Dr Kline’s presence without being drawn into his joy.

Dr Miller taught economics and introduced our campus chapel services. Joy bubbled out of him.  He was an engaging speaker who held his audience in his hand. A keen sense of humor was his hallmark. He also had great insight into the human experience, and a deep faith. No wonder he left listeners longing for more. His joyful life gave me a picture of the kind of person I’d like to be when I, too, was old.

A Remarkable Approach to Aging

One day in chapel our guest speaker was E. Stanley Jones. A man already in his late 80s, he, like Dr Kline, was  a former missionary to India. His life greatly impacted not only India but the world. If you want to read quotes from his many books you’ll find them on the E. Stanley Jones Facebook page.

What struck me the most during that chapel was his statement, “Life is fun and it is getting funnier all the time!” I thought it a remarkable way to approach aging.

Getting old has its downsides, we all know that. It’s  easy enough to focus on the troubles in our lives and our world. But wouldn’t it be better to choose to follow the attitudes of these godly men?

As we grow older, let’s choose joy!

Joyfully,
Ginger