Then There's Waldo

Most Americans view retirement as that time in life when you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, or go anywhere you don’t want to go. Just take it easy. We envision simply sitting on the porch and watching the sun go down. We don’t get up early enough to watch it come up!

Then there’s Waldo McBurney. At age 104 he serves as an elder for the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Quinter, Kansas. At 65 he took up long-distance racing, the long jump, and shot put in the Senior Olympics—and set records well into his 90s. The following year, he became a beekeeper and still sells the honey.

A lifelong gardener, he grows and eats over 30 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs. McBurney attributes his longevity to his balance life—a strong faith, a sense of humor, a healthy natural diet, a lifestyle of physical activity, and adequate rest.

My goodness, Waldo, are you trying to make the rest of us look bad? On the other hand, maybe the rest of us need to re-examine our lives and our lifestyle. Awfully few of us—regardless of our age, old or young—are unable to serve the Lord and his church in some manner!

As Jesus said, “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt. 20:26-28 [adapted from The Joyful Noiseletter, Apr. 2007]
In Christian love, Lloyd Cain