Torch, Fall 1983

I I • = 18 Still Working by Beatrice Printy I am old enough to be retired. But I'm still working. Why? Well, I feel like I still have a lot of serving left to do. . David felt this way, too, when he wrote m Psalm 71 :18, Now also when I am old and greyheaded, 0 God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come. Notice that David did not say, "Now that I have retired as king, I will retire from life." No, he clai_med God's promise of strength to help the next generat10n . The reason I am still going strong, like David of old, is that I believe God has a purpose for me, too. As a farmgirl, I was taught to work. Being one of twelve children, I learned how to care for the needs of others. When I was 29 years old, my responsibilities were extended to include a husband and in just nine years five sons. We became a team working to support each other and those in our community. The work and responsibility of raising a large family scared me. I needed to sense a purpose and a hope by which to live and serve. I found all this in the Lord Jesus Christ. God doesn't promise His children an easy life, but He does promise His presence day by day. I found that especially true after one of our sons was killed. The aircraft he was piloting crashed in Texas. Just seven months prior to this my husband had died of severe emphysema. Then God directed me to Cedarville College as a resident advisor. It was a wonderful, new challenge and a totally new chapter in my life of work for my Savior. Just why would a woman of my age want to spend the next twelve years with young people? Well, I feel my answer is the answer any elderly person should give for serving Christ. I continue to work because I still want to serve. Counseling and comforting are just two of the functions I have performed at the school. I feel my main purpose has been to direct students to follow a godly path. To work for God at any age takes a realization of three concepts: willingness, commitment, and experience . Willingness is what God asks for first. Then He does all the rest. In Isaiah I: 19 God says, Ifye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land . Have you ever seen a child obey outwardly but do so with an inward rebelliousness? This is not the kind of obedience God desires. He wants willing obedience. The second concept, commitment, is found throughout Scripture . In I Corinthians 15:58, Paul says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work ofthe Lord. I believe it is the job of every saint, young or old, to respond to this call to the Lord's work. Although I have my ministry at Cedarville College, I am still responsible to be committed to my family. I still have the privilege of being a source of comfort and strength to my four sons, daughters-in-law, and eleven grandchildren. Our commitment also must extend to others around us . This includes the saved and the unsaved. And this should not diminish with increased age. We can witness to and pray for all those with whom we come in contact. I have a home in New York. I enjoy so much my summers there as a ministry to my friends. I am able to serve them through cooking, driving , encouraging, and entertaining. The third concept is experience. As elderly persons, we have been blessed with rich, past experiences that can be drawn upon in order to minister to others. By reaching back into our past, we might discover long forgotten gifts and talents to use for His glory. Unfortunately, in our society, people feel they are only as successful as they are rich. But this is not so in God's eyes. One does not have to be on any payroll to be working for God's company. . . It is too bad that our government has made prov1s1ons to keep the elderly from working. This forces elderly people away from jobs that they need and want. Older Christian saints should be allowed and encouraged to work longer for their own mental, physical, and spiritual health. For years I have had a plaque from the radio broadcast Heaven and Home Hour next to my bed to encourage me in my work each day. It states: Yesterday He helped me. Today He did the same. How long will this continue? Forever! Praise His name! Fellow saints, God still has a purpose for us. So let us be willing, be committed, and use our years of experience to serve others. Yes, let us occupy until He comes . "Ma "as she is affectionately known, is Head Resident at the newest women's dormitory at Cedarville College. She raised five sons and now 1s responsible for 146 women students whom she calls her "daughters."