March 27, 2026 / 0 comments

Unexpected – with a little help

They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

  • Psalm 92:14-15

Do not cast me away when I am old;
    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

  • Psalm 71:9

Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

  • Isaiah 46:4

The New Boilerplate

My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover.  It was hidden with a box of crafting things.  On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these.  But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes.  So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while.  And it will be fun for me.  She did not attribute any of the quotes.  The first quote was from James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the USA.  The next one was disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire.  After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.

Her quote

“Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man.”

  • Leon Trotsky

The Discussion

My wife added a “the” in front of things in the quote.  Some people attribute this quote to James Thurber, but with everything being documented from Trotsky’s diary of 1935 to the final published book in 1958, it was definitely Trotsky.

Emil Cioran, philosopher, said that if Trotsky had a good, meaningful concept of old age in his youth, he would have become a mediocre revolutionary, at best.

And that is where the rub lies.  We all reach old age if we live that long.

I fought middle-aged.  I did not think I was middle aged.  That was someone older.  And then one day I doubled my age at the time and thought, ‘No one lives that long!’

So, where did the years go?  How did I end up here on the down slope?

Did I realize I was getting old when every bone in my body hurt and I just did not want to get out of bed?

Did it happen when I got out of bed and every joint that I moved made a sound? (ankle, knee, back, knuckle, neck)

I will use the Mark Lowry joke – don’t want anyone to think I came up with it.  Mark Lowry said that one day he got to the point when he had to decide: Do I want to clip my toenails or do I want to breathe?

Trotsky was right in one sense.  Getting old should be expected.  Many try to stay in shape so that they can keep moving when they get there – often tearing muscles that do not repair and putting themselves in a worse situation.  But we all get to that point unless we pass away too soon.

It should be expected, but I know of few who realized it when they got there.  You only realize it when you turn around and look back.

My advice is not to turn back.  We are closer to our heavenly reward than most of those young fellows.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and let your “what was” stay back there in the past.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory

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