If you have been overwhelmed by the feeling that it’s too
late to accomplish your goals or dreams, that life has somehow bequeathed you a
legacy of being too ordinary, too incapable, too small, too short, too tall,
too fat, too thin, too whatever --
prayerfully consider the story of a courageous woman named Rose.
On the first day of the college semester, our professor
introduced himself and challenged us to become acquainted with someone we
didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand
touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up the room. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked with a smile.
She replied teasingly, “I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what might have motivated her to take on this challenge at her age.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up the room. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked with a smile.
She replied teasingly, “I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what might have motivated her to take on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m
getting one!” she told me. After class we walked to the student
union and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends.
For the next three months, we left class together and talked nonstop. I was mesmerized listening to this ‘time machine’ as she shared her wisdom and experiences with me. Rose became a campus icon and easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her by students. She was living it up!
At the end of the semester, we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. After a brief introduction, she stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her note cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and jokingly announced, “I'm sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up looking for a husband for Lent and it’s killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just talk to you about what I know.”
As we laughed heartily, she cleared her throat and began: “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, happy, and achieving success.”
“First of all, you have to laugh and find humor every day.”
“Secondly, you’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!”
“Next, you must know that there is a huge difference between growing up and growing older. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and never do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunities that are hidden in change.”
“Finally, refuse to live your life with regrets. We elderly people typically have no regrets for what we have done, but rather for things we did not do. The people who fear death are those with deep regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing a solo entitled “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. I reprinted them below for you.
For the next three months, we left class together and talked nonstop. I was mesmerized listening to this ‘time machine’ as she shared her wisdom and experiences with me. Rose became a campus icon and easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her by students. She was living it up!
At the end of the semester, we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. After a brief introduction, she stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her note cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and jokingly announced, “I'm sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up looking for a husband for Lent and it’s killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just talk to you about what I know.”
As we laughed heartily, she cleared her throat and began: “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, happy, and achieving success.”
“First of all, you have to laugh and find humor every day.”
“Secondly, you’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!”
“Next, you must know that there is a huge difference between growing up and growing older. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and never do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunities that are hidden in change.”
“Finally, refuse to live your life with regrets. We elderly people typically have no regrets for what we have done, but rather for things we did not do. The people who fear death are those with deep regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing a solo entitled “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. I reprinted them below for you.
Some say love, it is a
river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And YOU its only seed.
It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It’s the one who won’t be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin’
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose.
At the end of the academic year, our Rose finished her college degree. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught us by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And YOU its only seed.
It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It’s the one who won’t be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin’
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose.
At the end of the academic year, our Rose finished her college degree. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught us by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
My friends, you will
live your lives fully, freely and fearlessly under the lordship of Christ and
with the realization that YOU “can do all things” through THE ONE who
strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)
Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please
(above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.
Maranatha!
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