Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

• Matthew 25:21

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

• Matthew 25:34

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

• Matthew 25:41

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 20^th 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 verdict of life.”

• Amelia E. Barr

The Discussion

We think of a verdict as a bad thing handed down by judge and jury, but the verdict can be not guilty.

In the Scriptures above, all coming from one chapter in Matthew, we see two verdicts.  The first two Scriptures show that God is pleased with us.

The last verdict is what none of us want to hear.

They say that the only two guarantees in this world are death and taxes.  The way some people fiddle with their tax returns, I wonder if the only guarantee is death.

But what is the only option to getting old and receiving the verdict?

Dying young.

Now that is a verdict that I do not wish to think about.

Getting old is not as bad as everyone thinks.

Do I have aches and pains?  Sure, but I can deal with those aches and pains.  I have some pains from my youth and those pains hardly bother me at all.  I have learned to deal with them.

Do I have mobility issues?  Sure, but with greater mobility… Seriously!  Where would I go?

Is living on a fixed income such a horrible thing?

When you have enough to put food on the table, pay the bills, and see the doctor when needed, do you really need eight digits in the bank?  Seven digits? Okay skip six, five digits?  If you plan on taking world tours annually, do not retire.  But can you glorify God that way?  Okay, maybe.

So, life’s verdict is in, and old age seems to suit me.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory