Another birthday rolls around for me on Sunday. We will be away celebrating with family. Not only does this birthday have an impressive name – “Diamond Jubilee” – it feels significant.  A month or so ago I mentioned  J.I. Packer’s wonderful little book “Finishing Our Course with Joy,” and noted how he speaks of the “younger olds” (ages 65-75), the “medium olds” (75-85), and the “oldest olds” (85 plus).  Packer was among the oldest olds when he wrote the book and wrote with both wisdom and experience.

On Sunday I become just plain old. Happy Diamond Jubilee to me!

In “Finishing Our Course with Joy,” Packer quotes Shakespeare describing old age as “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans teeth, sans everything” (As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7). So far, I have avoided all that and have reasonable hope to join the psalmist at 80 or more by “reason of strength” (Psalm 90:10). In fact, and lest you wonder otherwise, my health seems to be quite good in all ways. This is not a lament on the imminent approach of the Grim Reaper, or even the limitations older age always imposes. Rather, it is the acknowledgement of a sense that I am in a final lap of a long race – how long the race and how many the laps, I do not know. I already love the CityAlight hymn that sings, “When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat ‘Yet not I, but through Christ in me.,’” but not yet do I think the race may be nearing completion.

The finish line may still be years away, and I hope it is, but the reality of a finish line stalks my thoughts in ways it did not even a decade ago. “While we can” and “for my age” are appended to many things I say.  “We’d like to travel to ________ – while we can.” “My health is pretty good – for my age.”

Growing old is the common human experience, and only tragedy spares some from it. In our culture, the journey to old age is one to be denied and the reality of old age is despised.  It has not always been so. Proverbs grants status to the old:
The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair (Proverbs 20:29).

My golden jubilee may be a good time to acknowledge the splendor of turning into this last lap.

Indeed, this golden jubilee will be an occasion to celebrate God’s great faithfulness. Isaiah the prophet hears the word of God as God describes older persons who know him as those “who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:3–4).

As I shed “young old” for plain old “old,” may I remember the God who promises to carry me even to old age and gray hairs.  May I celebrate the One who has made and will bear, who will carry and will save. And may this not be for this last lap alone, but from my diamond jubilee to forever and ever.