And Then It All Came To An End

Time has a way of getting ahead of me. Just when I think I’ve caught up, I find out I was wrong.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were sitting down, relaxing after a wonderful Christmas activity with all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. It was a wonderful time, but with my age, I ran out of steam very quickly.

Once upon a time, I had enough steam to do just about anything. Now, that seems to have evaporated.

This year's Christmas celebration was a wonderful time, and as we sat around the table, I noticed that the people around us were a lot older than they were a year ago.

I was not going to tell anybody; I would just let them find out for themselves that they were getting old.

My bathroom mirror tells me every morning that I am an old goat and older than yesterday’s goat. I could not help but reflect back when I was a teenager and we had family get-togethers, and looking around grandma's table, everybody seemed to be rather young. That isn't the case anymore.

Looking at me with a smirk, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage said, "Well, I guess this year's over." Then she let out one of her patented laughs

As always, she was right. This year will be over in a few days, and I can tuck it into bed and let it go to sleep.

It seems strange that when I'm getting used to something, it's over before I know it. Things go by so quickly these days.

As a young teenager, I just couldn't wait until I was 16 to get my driver's license. It took me four and a half years to get to the point where I was old enough. It seemed like an eternity.

Looking back, I have had my driver's license for over 50 years, and I'm not sure how much time has passed. I can remember wanting my driver's license, and now, all of a sudden, all of that is over.

I remember when I was teaching teenagers in our church, and often told them when they visited their grandmother, asked her to show her wedding picture. Then compare that picture with what she looks like today. I wasn't finished. Then, look at your picture and just remember that one day you just might be as old as your grandmother.

Why is it that when you're young and have energy, things don't go very fast, no matter how hard you try? However, the older you get the faster things seem to go. I guess I'll never figure that one out.

Then The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage mentioned the unmentionable, "So, have you worked on your New Year's resolutions yet?"

That's the one question I don't want to hear.

When she brought that up, I looked back at her, smiled and said, "On the top of my list is that I will only eat one Apple Fritter at a time."

She did not laugh at that one.

When I was done chuckling, I looked at her and said, "Okay, have you made your New Year's resolution list yet?"

Then she began with her list, which was almost infinity. She had so many things that she wanted to get done in the next year that I got tired of listening to them. I did know that if she made a list of something, you can bet your bottom dollar that she's going to complete every one of them.

That's what made me a little alarmed.

I won't challenge that kind of thing with her. Whatever she wants to do, she can do it with my blessing.

Of course, there is the idea that if she's as busy as that list suggests she might be, I could sneak in an Apple Fritter occasionally without her knowing it. Now I’m smiling.

We were reflecting on what a great year we had. Sure, there were some bumps along the way. Despite those things, we had an excellent year together. This year, we celebrated our 54th Christmas together. I can't believe it's been that long.

With a very curious look in her eyes, she looked at me and said, "Out of all those Christmases that we had together, which one would you think is your best Christmas?"

I learned a lot from my father, so I responded, "Oh, my dear. My best Christmas is the one we're celebrating right now."

You can get in trouble by saying something like that. Sure, we've had Christmases all the way back to 1970, and most of them I don't remember, so I believe the best Christmas I've ever had is the one I'm enjoying now.

Coming to the end of a year and the beginning of a new year, I couldn’t help but think of a verse in the Bible.

Solomon wrote many years ago, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun”

(Ecclesiastes 1:9).

My experience is that the older I get the less things change. As a young person, I always hoped things would change and get better. Sometimes they did, but more often than not, things remain the same.

The only change in my life was when I surrendered my life unto the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.