Reposted from Joni and Friends daily devotional:
"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life."
Proverbs 16:31
When Ken and I were in Russia, we befriended an old woman who cleaned the floors of our hotel lobby every day. Through an interpreter, we complimented her on doing an excellent job. Old and wrinkled, her round and red cheeks were framed with a tightly knotted colorful scarf. Her face sparkled with her blue eyes and golden-toothed smile. She had on layers of skirts and wore leggings and boots. With broom in hand, our elderly friend looked out of place in the hotel lobby; maybe that's why we were drawn to her.
We met many Russian "babushkas" like her. The praying grandmothers, they were called. These were the stalwart saints of whom Stalin had cruelly said, "If we can get rid of these old women, we will have the youth in our grasp."
Stalin failed. And thank God for praying grandmothers who served as a link, spanning a generation lost to atheism and connecting a new generation of young people who are asking open, honest questions about Jesus.
How grateful we can be to elderly saints who make prayer a life vocation. One day eternity shall reveal how far and wide Christ's gospel was advanced through the faithful prayers of old and faithful Christians.
If you have even one gray hair, you could almost qualify for Proverbs 16:31. But is your life a righteous one, hallmarked by the kind of intercessory prayer so many elderly saints offer to the Lord?
Praise God for that person over the age of sixty-five whom you know, a friend who is still trusting the Lord despite arthritis, wrinkles and poor vision. These who wear a crown of splendor need our prayers, too.
Father of all ages, as gray hairs abound, may righteousness abound. May I never resent the encroaching years but view them as an opportunity to deepen my life of praise and intercession.
Blessings,
Joni and Friends
www.joniandfriends.org