September 6th Daily Devotion
Volume XVI Number 41 – March 13, 2025
The Oldest Person in the Room In recent years I’ve discovered that on quite a few occasions, I’m the oldest person in the room, whether that room has two people or two hundred people. That’s a strange feeling. Last week I attended a “mini reunion” of Texas A&M graduates from the class of 1964. Do the math. That’s 61 years. Because I was always the youngest in my elementary, high school, and college classes, guess what? I was not the oldest person in that room of old codgers. Being the oldest person in the room almost all the time is a unique experience that brings an acute awareness of the passing of time. Here’s more about what it means, at least to some:
• Being looked to for perspective, assuming you’ve seen it all before. In many cases, you have.
• Understanding the value of responsible charitable causes and generously supporting them.
• Having a quiet confidence from surviving the uncertainties younger people are still facing.
• Being underestimated when people assume that being older means being out of touch.
• Mentioning events that feel recent but happened before your listeners were even born.
• Going to more funerals of loved ones and friends than you would ever have imagined.
• Listening to words and stories that feel new, even if they’re just repackaged old ideas.
• Choosing when to speak and when to let others figure things out for themselves.
• Having a sense of calm in knowing you don’t have to prove yourself anymore.
• Working harder to keep up with the language of younger generations.
• Being surrounded by people with more energy but less experience.
• Deciding how much you want to adapt to in a fast-moving world.
• Thinking more frequently about end of life matters and realities.
• Cherishing time with precious family members and friends.
• Dealing with aches and pains that come with old age.
• Being more generous with finite time and money.
• Being concerned about outliving your money.
• Grieving the loss of loved ones and friends.
• Telling jokes no one else understands.
• Giving thanks to God for every day, knowing that its passing reduces the days you have left.
If you’re reading these words, you’re still here, still learning, still contributing, and still shaping the world around you in ways that those younger than you may not yet fully appreciate. Being the oldest person in the room is a blessing. Many are denied that privilege. The Good Book says it this way:
• "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." Prov. 16:31
• “The righteous will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green." Psalm 92:12 As the years go by, I hope that’s true for you, even if you’re not yet the oldest person in the room!
Dr. Gerald B. "Jerry" Kieschnick
Chief Executive Officer | Legacy Deo | GBJK@LegacyDeo.org | www.legacydeo.org | (512) 646-4909
Our Mission: To inspire giving that impacts life forever.
Opinions in Perspectives are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the position of any group or organization.
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