Maybe you have heard in the news this week about Margaret
Dunning, of Michigan. She became
newsworthy by entering her car in a car show in Canton, Ohio. What makes it newsworthy is Margaret is 102
years of age and is believed to be the driver license record holder in the
United States. She learned to drive when
she was 8 years old, and became the youngest licensed driver at the age of 12
after the death of her father. Margaret
was the only person in her family that knew how to drive and with some string-pulling
from the prominent family, she was issued a driver license.
Margaret has several automobiles, currently driving a
Cadillac. Her claim to fame is enhanced
greatly with the 1930 Packard Roadster, the car she entered in the car show.
She purchased the car in 1949 and completely restored it to original, and brags
that she still changes the oil and spark plugs as well as all other maintenance
on the car. She is also well known among
local radar cops for all the speeding tickets she has on her traffic record.
I saw the picture of Margaret sitting on the running board
of her 1930 Packard, and spent some time thinking of how much fun it would be
to drive a car like that. No doubt she has turned down numerous offers to sell
the car. It's her pride and joy. So she made the national news, a 102 year old
woman driving an 82 year old car. There
are probably not many people you know that are older than the car they drive.
Stories like this encourage those of us who are in our
"senior" years. When we hear
stories like that we wonder if someone like Margaret has the same painful and
stiff joints we have. Surely, she must
have led a sheltered life with no major problems or illnesses. I don't know
anything from the story about her physical ailments, but she did work hard all
her life, never marrying, but quite successful in banking and in retail sales.
If Margaret were in your home church today, would she be
active in the sewing circle? Would she
teach a ladies class? Would she busy herself trying to be a good
example to the younger women in things about success and purity? Those are
questions I cannot answer, but they start me to thinking about the place senior
citizens have in most churches. In a time when the emphasis is on young
families we expect the older folks to slow
down in their involvement, Margaret is the example of perseverance. Still going
strong. Never giving up.
If you are a younger person, spend some time with the older
folks in the church. Learn from their example, their wisdom, and especially
their love of the church. If you are
older, determine that you will continue to be a good example to those who are
younger. Share your stories with them. Encourage them to keep pressing forward,
to be steadfast in the Lord.
Revelation 2:10,
toward the end of the verse says, "Be faithful unto death, and I will
give you the crown of life." Regardless of our age, that is a promise of God we
should all claim.
<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>
No comments:
Post a Comment