Nell MohneyDr. E. Stanley Jones was a missionary to India and an evangelist to America. He wrote 27 books and through one of those books he became my spiritual mentor.
He wrote, "You don't grow old, you get old because you don't grow." That statement was confirmed for me at a conference at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
One of those classes was what the French call "The Third Age," or persons 65 and older. According to the American Association of Retired Persons, the population percentage of senior adults has increased from 3.1 million in 1990 to 27.4 million in 2010. By 2030, there will be about 65 million seniors.
Those figures make me think that all of us in "The Third Age" should adopt the words of Robert Browning as our motto: "Come, grow old along with me, the best of life is yet to be."
Gerontologists tell us that there are some misconceptions about senior adults that need to be changed. The first misconception is that senility is just a part of aging. Many gerontologists consider senility a myth. They believe it's caused more by lack of social contacts, poor nutrition and lack of exercise than from aging. Though there is a sensory loss - hearing, seeing, taste - there does not have to be physical or mental decline.
The second misconception is that seniors are eager for a life of recreation and relaxation. For most, however, a life of leisure cannot be sustained financially and does not lead to satisfaction in and of itself. In fact, I learned that, after 39 months of retirement, if a person has not found something productive to do, he or she will become ill or die.
I will remember that Jesus came that we might have abundant life not just through mid-life but for all our days. So, I will stay close to him and grow spiritually. When I think of the future, I will excitedly recall the words of Robert Frost:
"For I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep."
Contact Nell Mohney at nellwmohney@comcast.net.