Older Than I Feel

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have       entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

 

I am older than I feel. In my mind I am still young, energetic, and ready for action. My reality is that my friends are starting to retire.

Through all of our “social” connections these days it would appear that we have forgotten how to actually socialize with others. I talked to someone who moved to this area after being away for many years. She and her husband have found a new church where the preaching is good and opportunities to study are there.

She misses fellowship. As an older couple they have come at a time when those in the church their age already have established relationships. They don’t seem interested in new people. The new couple have volunteered and taken positions in ministries within the church. The relationships they are forming seem to stop at the church door.

We want to point our older fingers at the next generation. We say they don’t know how to have a face to face conversation. We question why young people want to be anonymous on social media (check out Yik Yak – or maybe you shouldn’t). We accuse them of having forgotten the benefits of hospitality (some have entertained angels unawares!).  We claim they look down at their phones and don’t interact with others in a loving manner.

So often when I teach I have to remind myself that I need to look at myself and not just point fingers. Is that where our generation is today? Do we need to look at ourselves? In our mobile society as older people move close to us to be near their relatives or they retire to the area where we live, will they be excluded from fellowship with others in the body of believers because they haven’t always been here?

Have we done enough ministry in our lives so we feel we don’t need to “show hospitality without grumbling”? (1 Peter 4:9)

The other way to look at this is the old adage that the phone rings both ways. Perhaps the people who are well established would welcome some new company, they just hadn’t thought about it. Because we are new does not mean we are not the ones who should show hospitality. The blessing can be ours to entertain in our homes or ask others to join us when we go out.

This topic is dear to me because my husband and I have had the experience of moving to a new church at an older age. It is hard to break in.

Hospitality knows no age limits, young or old. If, like me, we are older than we feel, or like some, feeling every day of their age, are we willing to continue to serve the Lord with gladness as we serve His people? Especially if they are new to us, but not to Him!